The Soldier and the Cobra
by lilwhodat
Summary: Tough chick Skylar Anderson joins the Avengers and meets Steve Rogers AKA Captain America. The two fall in love. When Skylar's haunted past comes back, Steve and the rest of the Avengers will do anything to protect their newest teammate and Steve's love. On the journey will Skylar become the King Cobra? Or will she reject her gift? Post Avengers, pre Thor2 & CA:WS BAD SUM [COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

"Will Agent Anderson please make her way to Director Fury's office." The intercom speaker says throughout the entire base.

Sighing, I close the file on my computer and start towards the director's office. The walk is short and filled with curious looks. I reach the office in no time, knocking on the door gentle to ask permission for entrance.

"Come in." The gruff voice of the director says through the door.

Taking a deep breath, I push open the oak door, coming face to face with deputy director Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. Walking into the plush office, I close the door silently behind me, standing in front of the desk with my hands behind my back.

"You wanted to see me?" I say, my voice calm and professional, despite my churning stomach.

"Yes. I have a new assignment for you, Tony Stark and the rest of the Avengers have requested you to live and work at Avengers Tower. There you will perform all medical duties under Dr. Banner's guidance and you will help get Captain Rogers and Thor adjusted to earth and our technology." Director Fury says, surprising me.

"Yes sir. When do I begin?" I ask, my professionalism not allowing me to ask the screaming questions in my head.

"Tomorrow. Your bags are being packed this moment and Agent Barton will be flying you to the tower tonight." Fury replies, his one eye looking at me.

"Yes sir. Is that all?" I ask, unsure whether or not the meeting is over.

"Yes, you are free to go." Fury replies, returning his gaze to his desk.

I nod, leaving quickly and silently. Speeding walking to my room, I find all my clothes, toiletries, and few personal items packed and ready to go in my bags. Grabbing the three bags that contain my life, I walk towards the flight deck, anxious to leave the helicarrier and return to my city. New York City.

On the flight deck, Agent Clint Barton, waiting for my arrival, quickly greets me. Taking my bags like a gentleman, Agent Barton loads them into the jet before taking his seat as pilot and starting the aircraft. I take the co-pilot seat and buckle in. Even though I am trained to be a physician's assistant, like all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents I am also trained in many other fields. Aviation, mechanics, and combat were some of the many skills I've perfected through S.H.I.E.L.D. However, born and raised on the streets of NYC, I've learned to fight and defend myself since I was a kid. Living in a rough neighborhood, the only way to ensure my safety was to know how to fight, sometimes to the point of death.

By the time we land in New York, I'm exhausted. I don't remember when I had fallen asleep, but it must've been pretty soon after take-off since I don't remember anything of the flight. When we land, Agent Barton shakes my shoulder, waking me from my light slumber. Together, we leave the quinjet, Agent Barton carrying my bags despite my protests. We enter the basement of Avengers Tower, where the vehicles and heavier machinery are kept. Walking towards the elevator, I am awed by all the technology and resources available to the team of superheroes. I know Tony Stark is loaded, but now I can see how loaded he _truly_ is.

The elevator trip to my floor is quick. When we stop at my floor, floor 21, I can see the awe factor is not just limited to the basement. My entire floor is converted into an apartment of sorts. Stepping out of the elevator I am greeted with a nice foyer of sorts with a cot closest and a small mudroom of sorts. Further entering the space I have a nice open living room, dinning room, and kitchen area. I have a large flat screen TV with surround sound, stainless steal appliances, and a grand eight seat dinning table with a large chandelier hanging above. The balcony and view from my room is amazing. Since I received the _entire_ 21st floor, I have a 360 view of Manhattan and the harbor in the distance. I can see Central Park in the distance and the Brooklyn Bridge in the opposite one. The balcony in my room is large and spacious and has a grill, some patio furniture, and a lovely floor garden. Further into the apartment, I find I have an office, a small gym area, a guest room, and my own bedroom, which has a balcony with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge. I have a large walk in closest, a full-scale bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and separate shower, and a vanity already supplied with the most expensive make-up. Walking into the closest, I find there are already some clothes waiting for me. Several cocktail dresses, a few ball gowns, and various clothing items ranging from designer jeans to simple plain white t's. There's a whole rack full of shoes too; boots, heels, sandals, and everything in between. Placing my bags in the closest, I walk back toward the main room, noticing the other Avengers now join Agent Barton. The five males and Natasha wait patiently for me as I finish exploring my new crib.

"Well, what do you think?" Tony asks, clearly excited.

"It's lovely. But you shouldn't have gone through all the trouble." I reply, standing awkwardly in front of earth's mightiest heroes.

"Nonsense! You're part of the team now. Consider it a welcoming present." Tony says, shrugging his shoulders carelessly.

"Do you like it?" Clint asks, worry in his tone.

"Of course. I love it! It's the best room I've ever had! Thank you!" I say, embracing Tony in a hug and then moving on to Clint, who gladly accepts the warm embrace.

"C'mon it's getting late, we should let her get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow." Natasha says in a firm voice, peeling Clint off me.

"You're right. Tomorrow the real fun begins!" Tony says in a happy voice, high-fiving Clint and making Natasha roll her eyes.

"Have a good night, Skylar." Natasha says, giving me a small nod before taking her leave, Clint in tow.

"Night Sky!" Tony says, hugging me and giving me a small kiss on my temple.

"Good night Lady Skylar. I hope you have the sweet dreams." Thor says in his deep voice, giving me a bone-crushing hug before leaving as well.

"Good night Miss Skylar, I look forward to working with you." Bruce says, giving me a light pat on the shoulder before leaving.

"Good night Miss Anderson. Sleep well." Steve says in a guarded voice, looking at me with a peculiar look on his face.

"You don't have to go." I say before I can stop myself.

Pausing, Steve turns towards me, his blue eyes sparkling under the lights. For a super soldier and one of America's finest heroes, the man is quite dense. However, tonight he seems to be getting the message, because a grin spreads across his handsome features. "Do you want me to stay?" He asks, still slightly guarded.

_Did I want him to stay?_ That was the million-dollar question. _Did I want the man, who'd I slowly let break down my walls, stay?_ The fierce street girl in me wanted to say _no_. That I didn't need him and his chivalry charms to come in and protect me from the big, bad world. The other part of me, the girl who's been alone for so long, wants to say _yes_. It's been years since I've spent one-on-one time with someone in a place that feels like home. That rises another question, _home_. _Could Avengers Tower be home?_ Home for me are the streets of New York. The dark, dirty, dangerous streets that are feared by tourists and avoided by locals. The place where street racing, prostitution, gambling, and drugs are centered and a daily life. The place where violence and murder are common, and the only real protection is a knife, gun, and a good hit. _Could Avengers Tower, with all it's luxury, technology, and protection be home?_

"Yes. If you want, please stay." I say, making my mind.

A full fledge smile spreads across his lips, the wrinkles on his face becoming more pronounced as he flashes me his pearly whites. Walking from his place near the door, Steve takes the final couple steps towards me, closing the space between us. Steve's 6' height compared to my 5'3 height forces me to tilt my head up to meet his face. Blushing, I let a genuine smile spread across my face.

"So Miss Anderson, what do you want to do?" Steve asks, his voice sending shivers through me.

"Please, just call me 'Skylar'." I say, casting my eyes downward at his heated stare.

"Okay, _Skylar_. What did you have in mind for this evening?" Steve asks, drawing out my name on his tongue, tasting it for the first time.

"How about drinks on the balcony? It's a warm night and there's a full moon." I say, motioning towards the shinning blue moon outside.

"Alright, drinks on the balcony it is." Steve says, leaning even closer and allowing me to get a heavy whiff of his scent.

* * *

Steve drinking a Bud Light and me a Corona, the two of us settle on the balcony furniture, drinking and enjoying the warm summer night. The full moon is out and shinning brightly over the city that never sleeps. True to its name, even at the late hour of nearly midnight, the city below the tower is bustling. Car horns can be heard from a distant and the sound of people walking and talking below is still slightly audible from such heights.

"I never get tired of this view." I say, taking another swig of my drink.

"What do you love most about the city?" Steve asks, looking at me and not the view.

"I don't know. I've seen both the good and the bad of this city it's hard to imagine one without the other. I probably love Time Square the most." I reply, thinking deeply about my reply.

"Any particular thing about Time Square you like?" Steve asks, continuing to nurse his drink and observe me.

Chuckling slightly, I take another sip of my drink before answering. "When I was little, my parents took me to Time Square on my birthday, Christmas, and New Years. I always loved to see Broadway at night with all the lights and posters."

"You miss her." Steve says matter of fact, knowing some bits and pieces of my mom from the mentions of her.

Looking down, I feel the stab in my chest at her mentioning. "Yeah." I reply simple, not wanting to let the pain show in my voice.

Moving from his seat, Steve kneels in front of me, placing my beer on the table beside my chair and taking both my hands in his. "I'm sorry. I wish I could be more comforting. I know what it's like to lose a parent. And I'm sorry you of all people had to lose yours." Steve says sincerely, making me looking into his blue eyes.

"You are comforting. Just being with me, talking to me. That's helped me more than you'll ever know." I say, my voice huskier than usual.

"C'mon it's late and you have a big day tomorrow." Steve says, gently pulling me out of the chair and sweeping me into his arms.

Walking inside, the super soldier carries me to my room, kicking the door shut and resting me on the soft mattress. Turning to leave, I grab his hand before it goes to far out of reach.

"Stay?" I say simple, giving him an unsure smile.

"Of course." Steve replies, kicking off his shoes and sliding next to me on the bed.

Shifting under the covers, I snuggle closer to Steve's hard chest, feeling his muscles relax under my touch. Placing my head over his chest, I can hear his heartbeat, the steady rhyme lulling me to sleep.

* * *

**Three Months Earlier**

_I'm sitting in the conference room, my body not moving. My hands are still slightly shaking and I can feel the unsteadiness of my breathing. Shock, that's the state I'm in. This morning, Loki was questioned by the Black Widow, who was able to learn about his plan to release the Hulk. Plan succeeded. Not only did he release the Hulk, he attacked the Helicarrier, fatally wounded Coulson, and escape. One hell of a plan. On top of that, I came face to face with the Hulk and my life flashing before my eyes. I guess you could say 'wrong place at the wrong time'. And besides nearly being crushed by the Hulk, saved by a demi-god prince, and held hostage by a crazed god, now I get to hear the news that both Thor and Dr. Banner are gone, leaving only Captain Rogers, Tony Stark, Agent Romanoff, and a recovering Agent Barton left. _

_Now a good hour or so after the meeting has been through, I'm still glued to my seat, unable to move a muscle. I can't. The memory of Hulk's large and powerful form lunging with killer speed towards me can't leave my mind. The way his growl sounded while I was sprawled on the floor, a good blow to the body keeping me down. The flash of blonde hair, black armor, and olive skin crashing into the beast taking the blow through a wall meant for me. The memory continues to play out. I'm unable to think of anything else, only that split second when I believed I was actually going to die. _

_I feel a warm hand rest on my shoulder, jerking me out of my memories. Looking up to my side, I see Steve's worried look. He hasn't been the same since the attack. I know it's his first taste of action since arriving on the helicarrier and being reintroduced to the 21st century. The idea of a ranging beast able to destroy a quarter of the ship's interior is appalling to someone, who before his crash was only an idea of mythology or folktale. _

"_Are you okay Agent Anderson?" Steve asks, keeping a firm hand on my shoulder._

"_Yes, thank you. Please call me 'Skylar'." I say, feeling slightly better with the contact._

"_Do you need to go to the medical bay?" Steve questions, eyeing the scratches on my face and my still slightly bloody lip._

"_No. I'm fine. Just need a good night's rest is all." I say, shaking my head vigorously and attempting to stand up._

_The moment I stand, I feel a rush of dizziness. I know I hit my head when the Hulk threw my body like a rag doll, but I don't believe I have a concussion or anything serious. Even the doctor on staff didn't believe so._

"_You're not 'fine'. You should go see Dr. Brown." Steve says, wrapping me in his arms trying to steady me._

"_No. I'm fine. I just need to get to my room." I say, my voice firmer._

"_If you don't see the doctor, at least let me help you to your quarters." Steve says, his voice gentler._

_Attempting to take a step, the rush of dizziness overcomes me again, and I fall into Steve's chest. Yes, him helping me would definitely make the trip to my room faster, easier, and less painful. "Okay."_

_Without another word, Steve easily lifts me up bridal style and carries me out the conference room doors and through the hallways and corridors of the helicarrier._

"_My room is on the starboard side. Top floor, near the forward wing." I say, my eyes getting heavier and my consciousness fading._

_I pass out from exhaustion before we reach my room. In fact, we barely leave the main hallway before I'm out. I don't know what trouble Steve went through to find my room or whether he went through any, but the next morning I found myself laying in unfamiliar bed with a strong masculine aroma full of aftershave and a unique scent. Groggily I open my eyes more to the smaller, less furnished room of one of the temporary quarters. Not knowing why I'm in a TQ, I notice that I'm not longer in my dirty work clothes, but in a large over-sized t-shirt and my compression shorts. Sitting up further, I hear the bathroom door open and Steve's wet body with a white towel draped loosely and dangerously low around his waist emerge._

"_Uh-um. Morning. I didn't think you'd be awake." Steve stutters, a pink blush creeping up his cheeks._

"_No it's okay. Thank you for your hospitality. I really didn't mean to pass out on you." I say quickly, trying to keep my eyes focused on Steve's face and not his rock hard chest and abs, or the drooping towel._

"_I asked Natasha to change your-uh clothes. I didn't think you'd be comfortable in your um-suite?" Steve says, motioning towards the oversized shirt._

"_Thank you. That was very sweet of you." I say, blushing like the virgin I am. _

"_Don't worry I wasn't in the room. I thought you'd want your privacy." Steve assures me, obviously feeling awkward at explaining himself._

"_Steve, it's okay. Thank you for being so thoughtful." I interrupt, finding his rambling and growing blush adorable in a way._

"_The shower's all yours if you want. You don't have to use it. But if you want it's open for you, and so is anything in the room." Steve says, walking towards the built in cabinets and beginning to rummage through the contents inside._

"_Thank you. I think I will grab a shower." I say, getting out of bed and begin walking towards the bathroom._

"_There's a clean towel under the sink." Steve says, watching me._

"_Thank you." I say over my shoulder, purposefully swaying my hips a little more necessary than I would normal just for fun._

_Entering the bathroom, I turn around and see Steve's gawking face, clearly having watched and enjoyed my little show. Quickly noticing me looking, the soldier blushes a deeper red and looks away quickly, obviously embarrassed. Smiling at his modest ways, I close the door and start the water, removing Steve's shirt and my shorts before stepping in to the warm water. I shower quickly, wrapping myself in the white towel I find under the sink like Steve said. Walking back out, I wrap the towel around my body, carrying my clothes in one hand._

"_Sorry I didn't realize you'd be done so soon." Steve says, making me look up at him, seeing him dressed and holding a cup of water and an apple._

"_It's okay. I just finished." I say, noticing Steve desperately trying to avoid looking at my barely covered body still damp from the shower. "Steve it's okay, I'm not ashamed of my body." _

"_No! It's not that! You have a perfect body! There's nothing to be ashamed of!" Steve says quickly, looking directly at me with full conviction in his voice. "I just-I, uh…"_

_Walking up to the stuttering soldier, I gentle rest my hand on his chest, making his head snap towards me, then to my hand. "Steve, it's okay. You don't have to be embarrassed." I say kindly, loving the feel of his hard abs under my hand._

"_You're not upset?" Steve asks, looking at me like a child would to a parent while confessing a guilty deed._

"_Not at all. In fact, I feel it's a compliment you like looking at my body so much." I reply, trying to be seductive and not sure if I'm failing or not._

"_Would you mind if I looked at it more?" Steve asks, uncertainty heavy in his voice._

"_You can touch it if you like." I say, not sure where the courage to say it came from._

_Slowly, but confidently, Steve brushes his hand across my arm, moving it to my side and resting it on my hip. His other hand caresses my face, pushing some of my wet locks behind my hair. Standing on my tiptoes, I stretch my height to be closer to Steve's taller one, his body returning my advances and lowers so his lips touch mine in a light kiss. Unable to control myself, I wrap an arm around Steve's neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. The hand on my hip tightens and a second hand rests on my waist to pull me closer and hold me to a toned chest. Opening my mouth, I let Steve test his tongue against mine, the feeling making me moan in pleasure. Becoming bolder, Steve pushes his tongue into my mouth, battling with it for control. Fisting a hand in his hair, my other hand is trapped between our bodies, the feel of my breast against his chest causing me to tingle from head to toe._

"_Captain Rogers are you ready? Director Fury has located the Tesseract." An agent's voice says outside the door, knocking on the metal frame loudly._

_Stopping our heated make-out session, both of us freeze. The deer and headlights look crosses Steve's face for a short moment before he steps back, unwrapping my arm from his neck. Internally whimpering at the loss of heat, I straighten my towel, making sure the girls are covered before looking back at Steve's face. Lust and disappoint are clear in his eyes, obviously wishing for more, but too committed to his job to ignore his duty._

"_Go. I'll see you when you get back." I say, kissing his cheek softly and looking at him with equal amount of lust._

_Kissing me passionately one last time on the lips, Steve hurries out the door, giving me one last sad look before closing the barrier and heading off towards the director._


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, I awake to the feeling of something soft but firm around my waist. Looking down, I see the pale arm of Steve Rogers, holding me against his rock hard body. Turning my head, I stare at Steve's face; mesmerized by the youthful looking skin and lack of stress, worry, and frown marks on his serene face. For being nearly seventy years old, he looks good.

_Of course he looks good, he has the super soldier serum! He'll always look like the peak of human perfection while you will always be compared to Natasha and Maria._ I think to myself, hating the voice of jealousy at my flaws.

I don't consider myself a 'vein' person, but I do have my moments of jealousy and wishing I had someone else's looks. The main thing I crave is Natasha's killer body and Maria's stunning blue eyes and jet-black hair. Instead I got the brown-red hair of my Italian origin, tan skin of my Latino blood, and the fiery temper of the Irish from my father. You could say I'm 'pretty', if by pretty you mean plain or average. I don't have skills in sex or seduction, nor do I have the education and power to command everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. beside director Fury and the board. Yes, I envy the two friends I've made at my job. Sure other agents are nice and the med staff has been warm and welcoming since day one, but I've never clicked with the surgeons and nurses of the department.

"Morning. How did you sleep?" Steve asks, breaking my train of dark thoughts and bringing me back to reality. The reality of being in bed with Steve Rogers.

"Pretty good. How 'bout you?" I ask, looking into the super soldier's deep blue eyes matching the sky.

"Best sleep I've had in weeks." Steve replies, a hint of something deeper.

"RISE AND SHINE LOVEBIRDS!" Tony's obnoxious and overly cheery voice says, bursting through my door carrying a tray full or food and flowers.

"What do you want Stark?" I ask, feeling a bad mood settling for the rest of the day.

"Morning to you too sunshine. Someone not get enough sleep last night?" Tony asks, winking between Steve and me.

Blushing a deep red, I quickly avert my eyes from Steve, who's turned pale then red as his anger rises at understanding Tony's R rated suggestion.

"Don't even go there, Stark." Steve says in a dangerously low voice, clearly not liking Tony's dirty mind.

"Relax capsicle, it was a joke. No need to get your star spangled undies in a bundle." Tony says in a light voice, obviously not sorry and greatly amused by my blush and Steve's anger.

"Get out, Tony. While you still have functioning legs to run." I warn, the threat hidden behind my calm voice.

"Okay fine. Excuse me for trying to do something nice for a new housemate. Next time I'll keep the bacon to myself." Tony says in a mock-hurt tone, heading for the door.

"Goodbye, Stark." Steve says, waving the billionaire playboy away.

"Have fun kids. Be responsible." Tony says before closing the door quickly.

Blushing a deeper shade of crimson, I feel my cheeks burn in embarrassment and anger at being caught in bed with Steve. _Great first day of work._ I think to myself. Pulling the tray of food closer to me in my king-sized bed, I examine the contents of the food. Scramble eggs, bacon, two glasses of orange juice, and some toast fill the plastic tray, a small vase full of summer flowers decorating the tray.

"There's enough for two, dig in." I say, taking one of the folks and beginning to eat the food.

"Are you sure it's safe? Did Stark cook it?" Steve asks, clearly not favoring anything made by Tony.

"Point taken. Let's go down to the kitchen and make something." I say, tossing the fork back on the tray and climbing out of bed, making my way to the elevator.

Steve behind me, I hit the elevator button and wait. An awkward silence falls between us, neither sure what to say after Tony's jibs and crude remarks. Knowing Steve will never address his comments, the good boy inside him won't let him, I decide to relieve the strain and mounting tension.

"So how are you adjusting to New York?"

"It's different from seventy years ago. There's a lot more people than I remember." Steve replies, a look of relief on his face.

"Have you been to Central Park since you've come back?"

"No. I haven't found the time yet." Steve says, looking off into the distance.

The elevator arrived and we both walk in, Steve pushing the correct button for the kitchen. The doors close and now I'm in an enclosed space with Steve Rogers. Nobody pinch me!

"You should visit it. It's really pretty in the fall. There's also Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, that's pretty too this time of year." I say, not wanting our conversation to end.

"The Bronx? When I was a kid, only bullies came out of the Bronx. Some of the toughest kids in my neighborhood were from there."

"It's changed. Given there's still some of it still going on, but it's changed." I say, feeling a slight sting at Steve's words.

I was born in the Bronx, south Bronx technically, so I know of all the crime, scum, and violence that lives on its streets. I know I should feel ashamed of my hometown, the most dangerous and dirtiest part of New York at one time, but I don't. I feel proud to have come from a neighborhood where, after my dad left, all my neighbors pitched in to help mom and raise me. I had met my best friends that way, and I had gotten a either that way as well.

The elevator dings pulling me from my thoughts. The doors open and reveal the Avengers main living area, at the top floor of the tower. The room is huge! There are all the latest appliances, technology, and toys. The balcony/patio is also huge, and I can see Tony's landing platform for his Iron Man suit.

"You like?" Tony asks, coming into my view.

"I love, this place is amazing." I say, walking into the room, my bare feet soundless on the stone floor.

"Thanks. Pepper had a lot of say in the redesign." Tony says, motioning towards the entire area that was destroyed during the evasion.

"A 'lot' of say?" Pepper's voice says, walking behind Tony.

"Okay like 99.99999 percent." Tony amends, earning a smack from Pepper. "Okay she did all of it."

"It looks amazing, you should really take this on as a hobby or something." I say, making Pepper give Tony a satisfied smirk.

"Thank you Skylar, I will keep that in mind." Pepper says, giving me a warm smile before heading towards the elevator.

"C'mon Tony! Don't want to be late for our date." Pepper says, giving Tony a suggestive look making him be line towards her.

"See you kids around!" Tony says as the elevator doors close.

"Well Miss Skylar I believe I owe you breakfast." Steve says in a playful voice.

Giggling, I respond. "I believe you do indeed Mr. Steven."

Following Steve to the kitchen area, I sit at one of the barstools while Steve prepares his ingredients. Soon he has pans sizzling, the toaster popping, and his hands are flying all over the place.

"Whatcha making?" I ask, trying to look around Steve's impressive size.

"It's a surprise."

"I have surprises." I grumble, sitting back in my chair.

"Well I think you'll like this one." Steve says, finished cooking.

Turning around, Steve presents me with a gourmet omelet and toast with a cup of orange juice.

"Wow that looks delicious!" I say, eagerly accepting the offered folk and digging in. "And it taste amazing!"

Laughing, Steve eats his own omelet, less fancy but probably just as tasty.

"What's that smell?" Clint asks, walking into the kitchen with Natasha and Bruce.

"Omelets." I say, inhaling the rest of mine day and moving on to my toast.

"Yum can I have one?" Natasha asks, sitting down beside me at the counter.

"Sure thing. You want one too Dr Banner?" Steve asks, finishing his own omelet and preparing to make more.

"No I'm good thank you. I'm actually here to show Skylar around the lab and have her familiarized with the technology."

"I'm done I can go now." I say, gobbling down the rest of my food and downing my orange juice in record time.

"Great, let's go. Also there is a gift waiting for you in the garage." Bruce says, making me pause and look curiously at him.

"A gift? For me? From who?" I ask, going through all the names in my head that know of my transfer.

"I don't know. Someone left it outside the tower this morning. There was a note." Bruce says, digging into his pocket and handing me the piece of paper.

_Ride or die, remember?_ Was all it read. Rushing past Bruce, I hit the elevator button and hop inside, hitting the garage button as Bruce throws himself inside as well. The doors close and the elevator makes its descent to the bottom of the tower. When the doors open again, I race toward the garage, wanting to see what 'gift' was left.

"Jarvis open the garage door, _now_." I command, Stark's personal assistant obeying my command.

The garage door opens and I walk inside to come face to face with a 1970 black Dodge Charger R/T. I hear the sound of Bruce and several other footsteps run up behind me and halt at the sight.

"This is the gift?" Clint asks, awed by the car.

Crumpling the note in my hand, I walk toward the car, opening the driver side door and finding the keys in the ignition and a silver pair of dog tags hanging from the rear view mirror.

"Skylar you okay?" Clint asks, worry in his voice.

Inspecting the car further, I open the middle compartment to reveal a can if NOS and the controllers to activate it. "Yeah, I'm fine." I reply, closing the compartment and slamming the car door shut. My anger rises. How dare he send me his car when he hasn't spoken to me in nearly ten years!

"Skylar are you okay?" Steve asks, walking up towards me and seeing the murderous look in my brown eyes.

"I'm okay. I-how about that tour now Bruce?" I say, giving Steve a small reassuring smile and walking towards Bruce.

"Yeah sure thing. We'll start in the emergency room right over here." Bruce says, walking over to the small emergency room equipped with surgical instruments and anything else imaginable for treating a large wound.

* * *

By noon the tour is complete, ending at the lab floor where Tony and Bruce tinker with things and also where the gym and training rooms are located. Keeping my mind focused on Bruce's words and not the 900 horsepower monster in the basement, I block out the rising anger, opting to throw all my energy in learning the new equipment. After lunch, I return to my apartment and begin unpacking my suite cases from last night. Unloading my clothes and toiletries first, I end my unpacking with my personal items. A few pictures, a laptop, a tablet, some DVDs, a string of snowflake lights, my jewelry, and a stuffed polar beer animal from my childhood are all my personal items. I place the framed pictures of me and my mom, me and my friends, me and my brothers, and a picture of my parents on the dresser in my room. I display the polar bear on my now made bed, and place my jewelry in the bathroom. I stack the DVDs by the flat screen in my living room, and I put my computer and tablet in my office. I hang the snowflake lights from the ceiling above my bed and let them canopy the headboard. Satisfied with my work, I grab some random clothes and head for the bathroom, a cold shower in order.

Finished with my shower, I air dry my somewhat lengthy hair, and pull on the random clothes, which happen to be a pair of gym shorts and an oversized t-shirt. Walking out into my own personal kitchen area, I make myself a mug of mint tea and walk outside onto the balcony. The warm late August sun kisses my natural tan skin, warming me from the outside in. Sipping on my mug, I admire my city, loving being so high yet still having a few skyscrapers tower over too. The air is quiet, a few birds chirping and the sounds of the city below muffled by the height.

"Miss Skylar, you have a visitor." Jarvis says, interrupting my pleasant afternoon.

"Who is it?" I ask, walking inside and placing my mug in the sink.

"It's me ma'am." Steve's voice says through the intercom.

"You can come in." I say, not sure how the lock and privacy system works in the tower.

The elevator doors open and Steve walks in, changed and showered in gym clothes as well. Seeing me, the cap stops short and just stares at me. Feeling self-conscious under his intense stare, I shift nervously on my bare feet, unsure what to do next.

"You okay Steve?" I ask, seeing an internal power struggle raging inside of the super soldier's blue eyes.

"Shirt." Steve half says, half growls.

Surprised by his tone, I cock my head to the side, not understanding his meaning. "What?"

"Shirt. Mine." Steve says in short sentences; still fighting whatever internal argument he's having with himself.

Looking down, I realize it's the shirt I slept in after the Hulk incident. I had forgotten I had kept it after Steve left his quarters. Blushing a deep red, I can't help but internally slap myself on in forehead. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! You kept His shirt! You probably seem desperate or something!" I mentally kick myself.

"Oh sorry. I guess I forgot I had it still. I can wash it and give it back if you want." I say quickly.

"No! Keep it. It looks good on you." Steve says, coming closer to me and invading my personal space.

Breath catching in the back of my throat, my heartbeat quickens at Steve's close proximity and brush of skin contact. I can still clearly see the raging battle inside his head, his blue eyes distant and stormy looking. Mustering all my courage and any knowledge of seduction I've learned over the years.

"If you want, you can kiss me." I say, my voice huskier than usual and my breathing unsteady.

That was all the permission Steve needed before his lips crashed on mine and he pulled me hard against his chest. Whatever battle he was fighting internally, the side he wanted must've won. The raw power he displayed as his hands held onto my waist tightly and his lips clumsily connecting with mine was enough to make me moan in pure pleasure, sending vibrations between our fused mouths.

Pulling back slightly for breath, Steve rests his forehead against mine. I hadn't realize exactly when I had jumped and locked my legs around his waist, but I find myself suspended in his arms, one hand under my butt to steady me and the other tangled in my wet locks. The look Steve gives me when his eyes reopen is the same one I saw the day I stood in a towel, damp from my shower. The same storm clouds had gathered in his eyes and whatever battle he fought then, he also lost and succumbs to his desires.

Gently lowering me back down to stand on my own two feet, Steve looks like a mess. I can't imagine what I must look like. Blonde hair tousled and stinking out in every direction, lips pink and bruised from our kiss, and breathing like a marathon runner who just sprinted the last two miles. Smiling, I love the feeling of Steve's large hands on me. My skin tingling and warm from his touch, I feel the goosebumps rise just thinking about what his hands _could_ do to me.

"Skylar?" Steve says in a panting voice, drawing my attention to his sky blue eyes.

"Yes?" I ask, feeling butterflies in my stomach at the sound of my name on his lips.

"Would you like to go dancing?" Steve asks, making a full-fledge genuine smile spread across my face.

"I'd love to." I reply, standing on my tiptoes to kiss his lips once more in a slow, sensual kiss.

Smiling a hundred watt smile, Steve wraps his arms around my waist once more and lifts me up, allowing me to hook my legs around his waist. Kissing me hard on the lips, Steve balances me while attempting to stay level himself. Kissing his mouth, I begin to wander. Mouth grazing over his cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, and down towards his throat, my breathing is rough and winded, my adrenaline pumping through my veins. Reaching the base of his throat, I suck on his Adam's apple, hearing Steve's moan of appreciating spurs me on to continue my trek.

Before I can continue exploring his _amazing_ body, a alarm sounds off in the building and Jarvis' voice coming over the speakers.

"It appears Director Fury has an assignment for you all. Apparently there has been a major natural disaster in San Francisco. An earthquake of extreme volume has caused some significant damage. The director would like you all to go out and assist in the damage. Miss Skylar, you have been ordered to go too."

"Duty calls." I say, feeling sad that my moment with Steve is over.

"Suite up. I'll meet you in the garage. We'll take the quinjet." Steve says, lowering me and giving me one last peck on the cheek before taking off for his room.


	3. Chapter 3

Sitting in the back of the quinjet while Clint and Natasha pilot the plane, I am able to go through the file Maria sent to Tony. The damage is of significant proportions and there are many people missing, wounded, and dead. The loss of life is relatively low, but the amount of injuries strongly encourages more deaths. The vice president ordered Fury to send the Avengers go to San Francisco and assist in getting people out safe and alive. Dr. Banner and I will be in charge of the medical staff, while Steve and Tony go searching for survivor and Clint and Natasha assist in moving the people to a temporary living situation.

I can feel my nerves and senses on high alert when we land. The city is in chaos; fire, flooding, and many wounded and displaced people surround the area. The National Guard has been in main control since the earthquake happened almost twelve hours ago, but it hasn't been enough. I locate the Red Cross tent and with Banner in front of me make my way through the torn up streets to reach it.

Inside there are many army doctors, nurses, and surgeons working quickly to help some of the more fatally wounded patience. There are lines and lines of cots, mattresses, and makeshift beds for patience to lie on while they wait for treatment. Because of the size and power of the earthquake, many people fear the aftershocks will also be very detrimental. Quickly, Bruce is taken to the doctors where he is briefed and sent to help the fatally injured. I, on the other hand, am taken to where the less injured patients are waiting. Given a first-aid kit and some other necessary equipment, I begin to treat the people waiting for service. Most are adults, a few elderly, and some children. Many have cuts, bruises, and gashes that won't require stitches, but a few do. I finish with these patients and move on to help the nurses and EMT who are treating the newly rescued survivors.

"Skylar!" Steve calls me, running towards me carrying a young boy in his arms, "I need your help!"

Rushing over to the arriving duo, I quickly take the child from Steve's arms and lay him on a nearby stretcher. Grabbing my medical bag, I begin to shift through its contents finding the necessary items I need.

"Where did you find him?" I ask, checking the boy's pulse, heartbeat, and eye functions.

"Under a collapsed building. I don't know how long he was in there, but he wasn't moving when I found him." Steve answers, looking sadly at the child.

"The eyes are responding to the light. He doesn't appear to have a concussion or any series head injuries, but we'll have to do an MRI and x-ray to be sure." I say, beginning to disinfect the boy's bloodied arms. "Pass me the scissors." Handing me the cutting utensil, I quickly snip away at the boy's shirt, revealing a bloodied chest with some obvious broken ribs. "He needs more serious medical attention." I say, noticing one of his lower left rib is sticking out of his skin.

Nodding, Steve picks the boy up and begins to run towards the ambulance-loading people in to take to the hospital. "Excuse me, ma'am! This boy needs immediate medical attention!" Steve yells at one of the EMT nurses.

"He has several broken ribs. No noticeable head injuries, but I wouldn't rule it out. He has several gashes on his stomach, arms, and head, but I already disinfected them. He needs surgery immediately to make sure those ribs don't puncture a lung." I say, explaining the boy's situation to the nurse who quickly takes the child and puts an oxygen mask on him.

"Do you have a name for the boy?" She asks, beginning to fill out the documentation.

"No. Male, about six or seven, Caucasian. His eyes are blue and he has abnormally fast heart beat." I say, listing the only things I knew about the unknown child.

"Thank you. I believe Dr. Banner wants you to help him in the field. Some survivors were found under a partially collapsed building and one has a broken leg." The nurse says, pointing me towards the waiting Banner and Stark.

"Thank you." I say, rushing off towards my teammates and following them into the somewhat standing building.

"Skylar I need you to get down there and check on her. I can't fit and I don't want to move her incase she has more internally injuries." Bruce says, pointing towards the collapsed concrete where a woman lays barely conscious with an obvious broken leg.

"Copy that." I say, sliding down the broken concrete and landing near the woman.

The area above me has collapsed some, making a cave like structure protecting the woman from falling debris. Her left leg is obviously broken, the leg itself in an awkward and disjointed position, and her half-conscious state appears to be barely receptive to the action around her.

"Ma'am? Ma'am can you hear me? My name is Skylar Anderson and I'm going to get you out of here." I say, the woman looking at me through hazy eyes.

Quickly opening her shirt, I feel around her ribcage for any signs of damage. Not wincing once at my actions, I confirm my theory of intact ribs. Moving on to check her pulse and heartbeat, I can tell she's barely breathing.

"Hold on ma'am, I'm going to get you out of here." I say, sitting her up slowly.

Placing her firmly in my lap, I put an arm under her knees, wary of her broken leg, and the other firmly around her upper arm. Standing up slowly, I walk towards the entrance of the hole and lift her with all my strength up towards Tony's waiting armored clad from.

"I've got her Sky. I'm taking her to the EMT. Hang tight, Rogers and Banner will get you out." Tony says, his voice altered by the Iron Man suite.

Giving Tony a nod, I release my hold on the young woman, watching as Tony flies towards the closest EMT he can find. Gathering my med bag, I prepare to climb out of the hole, looking up to see a smiling Steve and grinning Bruce looking down on me.

"Give me your hand and I'll pull you up." Steve says, leaning over the edge and offering me his gloved hand.

Walking towards the wall I slide down, I begin to climb it slowly, stretching my body to reach Steve's outstretched hand. Before I can get into reach, the structure begins to rumble and vibrate. Aftershocks. The building we're in begins to shake violently, the concrete around me vibrating and causes me to lose my balance. I fall back, hitting the concrete floor hard while the world around me shakes uncontrollably. Looking up, I catch the scared expression on Steve's face before I see a large piece of concrete fall from the ceiling above me. Rolling over onto my side quick as possible I avoid getting crushed by the large cement chunk. More follow, and soon the building will collapse.

Getting up quickly, I run towards the wall, climbing as fast as I can. As soon as I'm close enough, Steve wraps his arms around me and hoists me the rest of the way, setting me on my feet as we make a run for the exit. The ground still shaking, running is difficult on the uneven ground, many boulders, rocks, and piles of wreckage in the way. Seeing the light at the end of the structure, I ran as fast as my legs will carry me, which is not really fast since I'm not a fast runner. The Hulk has already gone ahead, clearing a path for Steve and I. Steve's a good yard or two in front of me, the serum and his natural masculine speed giving a lead over me. My adrenaline pumping, I see more of the ceiling collapse as I run through the building, barely avoiding a large piece of cement now and then. I'm nearly there, Steve and the Hulk have already made it out safely, but I've fallen behind. The look on Steve's face says it all, I'm not going to make it. Pushing as hard as I can, I sprint as fast as I'm capable of, reaching the exit just as the ceiling above it falls. Diving forward, I feel something hit my head, feel myself land on the hard gravel, and then my world goes black.

* * *

Waking up, I find myself in a hospital room, an IV in my arm. Something warm is resting on my thigh and my head is pounding like a bad hangover. Trying to get up, I feel pain surge through me. Letting out a small cry, I lay back down softly, not wanting the pain to continue. That jerks whatever is sleeping on my thigh, because soon I'm staring into the sky blue orbs of Captain America.

"Steve? What happened?" I ask, my memories blurry.

"You hit your head when the building collapsed." Steve says, a dark look on his face.

Nodding, the memories come back slowly. "How long have I been out?"

"A day." Steve says, a gruff tone to his usually smooth voice.

"Skylar! You're awake! She's awake!" Clint's voice interrupts our moment.

Looking towards the door, I see the archer assassin peek his head in. Soon the rest of the Avengers follow in behind him, gathering around my bed.

"How are you feeling?" Natasha asks, placing a vase of flowers near my bedside.

"A little tired, but I'll be okay." I reply, shrugging my shoulders.

"She should rest." Bruce says, checking my vitals on the machine.

"Okay, we'll check on you later." Tony says, kissing my forehead and making his way towards the door.

"Cap, you should probably get some rest too." Natasha says, looking at Steve with concern.

Studying the living legend's face, I notice the wrinkles prominent on his forehead, and the darkening bags under his eyes. _How long has he been here?_

"I'm okay, Nat." Steve argues, ignoring the redhead assassin's advice.

"Steve it's okay. You should get some rest. I'll be okay." I reassure him, giving him a small smile.

"Okay, but call me if you need _anything_." Steve agrees leaving the room once I send him a light push.

The others following soon after, I grab Tony's hand, halting the billionaire playboy. "How long has he been here?" I ask, my voice hard and my eyes warning him not to lie.

"Since he first carried you into the med bay. Banner had to basically Hulk out to get him to leave your side so he could tend to you." Tony says, a somber look on his usually playful face.

"Oh. That was sweet of him." I say, mostly to myself.

"He's crazy about you, Sky. I mean _crazy_. The dude was freaking possessive." Tony says, emphasizing 'crazy'.

"Thanks, Tony." I say, giving him a small smile.

"No prob, baby blue. Get some rest, we'll be back to check on you." Tony says, giving me another light kiss on the forehead before taking his leave.

Lying back on the hospital bed, I recount what Tony said. _Steve Rogers, Captain America, is crazy about me? Impossible. I'm so ordinary. Nothing super or special about me. I'm just a simple street kid from the scum of New York City. No way he'd ever be crazy about me._ With that thought in mind, I turn over on my side and let sleep overtake me, the drugs running through my system making my healing body tired.

* * *

The next day, I'm released from the med bay warned by Bruce to 'take it easy' because I have a few cracked ribs from my pavement dive. Making my way toward the elevator, which will take me to my apartment, which as my wonderful shower, I can't go too fast, not wanting to upset my already fragile body. Hitting the 'up' button, I wait patiently for the elevator to arrive.

"Skylar you're free from bed rest?" Clint says, walking over to me from the archer room.

"Yeah Bruce said it's okay if I finish healing in my own bed." I say, smiling at the friendly assassin.

The elevator arrives and Clint and I both walk in, me hitting my floor number and he hitting the penthouse button.

"How are the ribs feeling? Any better?" Clint asks.

"Some. There's still a lot of pain from just moving too much." I admit, knowing the infamous Hawkeye can see through whatever lie I say.

"Don't worry it'll get better. Banner gave you some meds for the pain though right?"

"Yup. Some wonderful horse pills that could knock a dog out." I say, holding up a brown bag with the medicine.

"Good. I've had bruised ribs before, unfun." Clint says, frowning in remembrance.

"It isn't so bad though. I've broken my ribs as a kid and _believe_ me, that's _unfun_." I say in an amused voice.

At elevator arrives at my stop and I wave goodbye to the archer, opening my room door and walking inside.

"So you weren't going to tell me you were leaving the hospital?" Steve says, causing me to jump in alarm.

"Steve! Holy shit you scared the hell outta of me." I say, holding my throbbing ribs.

"Are you okay?" Steve asks, rushing towards my side and checking where I have my hand.

"Yeah just a few bruised ribs. Nothing to worry about." I say, sarcasm in my voice.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry for scaring you. Here let's get you comfortable." Steve says, picking me up gentle bridal style and laying me gentle on the couch. "You need anything? Water? Juice? Tea?"

"I'd take a nice mug of tea." I say, smiling warmly at Steve, who wastes no time preparing my request. "You don't have to do this. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"I know, but I feel guilty about what happened." Steve says, reappearing with a warm mug in hand.

"You feel guilty? About what? It wasn't your fault." I say, confused by his confession. "Steve, it wasn't your fault."

"Yeah it is. I was with you; I should've slowed down or carried you. It wasn't right for me to leave you behind like that." Steve says, frustration and anger in his voice.

"You were doing your job. If I'd done mine I wouldn't have gotten hurt. Steve, you did _nothing_ wrong." I say in a firm voice, capturing Steve's face between my warm hands to look him in the eyes. "You did nothing wrong."

"Thank you Skylar." Steve says, taking my hands and kissing each bandaged knuckle.

"Stay and watch a movie with me?" I ask, looking hopeful at the living legend.

"Sure, which movie do you want to watch?" Steve asks, a smile crossing his features as he stands to go over to my stack of DVDs.

"I was thinking _Top Gun_? It's my favorite movie of all time."

"_Top Gun_ it is." Steve says, finding the DVD and turning on the TV.

I have to instruct him how to switch the TV from the cable settings to DVD settings, but Steve is an excellent listener and obeys my instruction to a T. The movie starts and Steve grabs some fluffy blankets from the closest and a few pillows from my room.

"What's this?" Steve asks, my stuffed polar bear Rocky.

"Steve meet Rocky. Rocky meet Steve." I introduce the two.

"Hi Rocky." Steve greets, putting a smile on is face and playing along.

"He was my favorite toy as a kid. It was a baby-shower gift. I've had him my whole life." I say, taking the toy from Steve's hands and tucking it into my side.

"He's cute." Steve comments, placing a blanket around me and settling next to me on the couch.

I grab the remote and hit 'play', letting the DVD machine do the rest of the work. I don't know how we ended up the way we did, but somehow Steve was able to lay down on the entire couch, me snuggled into his side, and rocky tucked in the crock of his shoulder. A blanket spread out on top of us and the pillows cushioning Steve's shoulder and head. I fall asleep, just as Maverick and Charlie kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the month passed quickly. My cracked ribs healed in record timing thanks to a little experiment by Bruce and Tony. Tonight is the night of my 'date' with Steve; he's taking me dancing. As I prepare for our dancing date, I try on various dresses and skirts hanging in my closet, which amount to a grand total of one skirt and three dresses. Still unsure what to wear, I quickly dial a number on my phone.

"Hello?" Claire's voice says through the speaker.

"Claire it's me. I need your help." I say, still searching through my large closet. I've made a mess of my room, bathroom, and living room. Clothes, shoes, make-up, jewelry, and accessorize litter the floors and open counter space.

"Say no more. Where are you?" Claire says. I can hear her grab her keys and purse as she heads to her car.

"Avengers Tower in Manhattan." I say quietly, knowing she heard me.

"Avengers Tower! Be there in ten." Claire says, ending the call.

Tossing my phone back onto the bed, I sigh in frustration. Why is one date with one guy making me act like a horny teenager who just got asked to prom by the quarterback of the football team?

"Jarvis how much more time do I have till my date?" I ask the computer assistant.

"About four and a half hours, Miss Anderson." The computer replies, displaying the countdown clock on the television screen in the living room.

Exactly ten minutes later, the main doorbell for the entire tower rings. I leap from my brooding position on the floor and race down the stairs towards the main floor. Bursting through the door, I see Claire greeted by Jarvis, who does the security procedure, and summons Tony.

"Claire!" I scream, happiness overcoming me as I hug my longtime best friend.

"Skylar! It's so good to see you! Look at you! I can't believe you live in Avengers Tower! You have a lot of explaining to do." Claire says, giving me a stern look.

"Yes mom." I joke, rolling my eyes at her usual protective nature. "C'mon my rooms up a few floors." I say, linking arms with the blonde and walking towards the elevator.

I push the button and we wait for our ride. As we wait, I have an opportunity to examine my best friend. Claire Swann is absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful golden silky blonde hair with olive skin and blue eyes. Average height with long legs, a killer smile, and a personality that could charm even Director Fury, Claire's always has been the golden girl of the school. We met when we were thirteen and since then we've been inseparable. We attended the same middle school and high school and when I went to college we had kept close in contact. Claire's brother Wayne went to NYU with me so she often came to visit when she was on break.

The elevator dings and the doors open and Claire and I walk in. I hit the 21st floor button and up we go. Once inside the safety of my room, I program Jarvis' security feed off so our conversation won't be recorded.

"Okay so details! How did you end up in Avengers Tower and who's the lucky guy?" Claire asks, sitting down at one of the barstools.

"I just got transferred here last month because the Avengers asked for me and the guy is Steve." I reply, going to the fridge and getting out a bottle of wine and some glasses.

"Steve what?" Claire asks, leaning over the counter to give me her famous smirk.

"Steve Rogers." I say, seeing her eyes widen.

"Steve Rogers? Like Captain America? No way!" Claire nearly screams, making me grateful I turned off Jarvis.

"Yeah I know crazy right?" I say, filling our glasses and sliding her one.

"When did you two meet? When did this all start? Details. Now." Claire says, accepting the drink.

"We met before the New York invasion. The flirtation started after a little incident with the Hulk. And he asked me out last month, but I bruised my ribs so I couldn't go out until Bruce cleared me. He's taking me dancing." I say, sipping my whine.

"He's taking you dancing? He's a keeper. You love dancing! Remember when your mom used to hold neighborhood parties every Friday night? We'd always dance till the sun came up." Claire says, smiling at the fond memories.

"Yeah we did, didn't we?" I say, smiling too.

It was strange. Whenever someone else brought up my mom, it always hurts. Like a scab being reopened. But whenever Claire would bring up a memory of the past that involved my mom, it wouldn't hurt so much. It's like hearing your old favorite song on the radio after years. I guess that's how close we are and how much I love her. She's like a sister to me; we've basically matured together since our middle school days.

"So what are you thinking of wearing to your date?" Claire asks, changing the subject.

"I don't know. All my dresses are too fancy I think, and I only have one skirt." I say, mentally going through my wardrobe.

"Let's go." Claire says, getting up and heading towards the elevator.

"Go where?" I ask, not sure what my mischievous friend has in mind.

"Shopping. You said you don't have anything to wear, so we're going to get you something to wear." Claire says, walking towards me and pulling me into the elevator.

"Claire that's not really necessary. I do have stuff to wear, I just can't find anything." I say, hating the idea of going shopping, even with my best friend.

"C'mon when was the last time you had a wardrobe upgrade?"

"Like college." I admit, feeling slightly embarrassed I've been wearing a lot of my high school and college clothes still.

"Then we're going shopping for something that screams sexy, sophisticated, and the feisty dancer I know you are." Claire says in a matter of fact voice.

The elevator opens and we walk back through the lobby. As we round the corner towards the exit, Tony comes into view, making me groan internally. I haven't told anyone of my 'date' with Steve, for good reasons too. Between Thor, Clint, and Tony I don't know who will be worse to endure.

"Blue where you off to?" Tony asks, coming up to Claire and I.

"Shopping for her big date." Claire jokes, nudging my shoulder.

_Shit. Thanks Claire for dropping the bomb._ I mentally groan, seeing Tony's face light up.

"Date? Who's the lucky fella?" Tony asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"What lucky fella?" Clint asks, walking up to us.

"Sky's got a date." Tony informs the archer, making the latter look at me with wide-eyes.

"You got a date? Who's the guy?" Clint asks.

"A date? Lady Skylar has a date?" Thor's booming voice echoes in the room, making me groan internally at my luck.

"Yeah Sky's got a date. Who with?" Clint informs the god of thunder, looking at me curiously.

Being stared at by three grown men who look like teenage girls waiting for the latest gossip is priceless. "We really must be going. It was nice talking to you all." Claire says, saving me from the humiliation of what would come.

Walking out the doors, we make our way towards the street corner, Claire hailing a taxi. We make it to the mall in a short while; we split the cost of the cab. Inside, Claire drags me to Macy's, searching through all their summer dresses and sundresses. Finding nothing, we move on to Niemen Marcus, Lord and Taylor, and Nordstrom. Still nothing, Claire drags me to a shop I've never heard of, Charlotte Russe. Inside, Claire instantly goes to the dress selection while I browse the clearance rack.

"Here try this on." Claire says, handing me a white sundress with a halter-top.

Accepting the dress, Claire pushes me into one of the changing stalls and closes the door. I quickly remove my jeans and shirt and change into the soft cotton white dress. It reaches my knees and has two thin straps that tie around my neck. It has flowers embroidered onto the fabric; a sliming waist, and the skirt flares out when I twirl.

Walking out of the dressing room, I step in front of the 360 mirrors. Even I have to admit, the dress does look nice. It compliments my tan skin and dark brown-red hair. It hugs my body nicely, showing off my curves without being too tight. The neckline is a light sweetheart that shows off my neck without being to revealing.

"Wow you look gorgeous." Claire says, admiring her choice.

"Thanks." I say, smiling shyly at her reflection.

"You have to get it! It looks amazing on you."

"I will. I like it. It's…nice." I say, never having tried on dresses before.

I pay for the dress and we exit the store, moving on to find some shoes to wear with the dress. I find some low-healed gladiator sandals on sale. Next we go find some accessorize, choosing a nice hair accessory and some sparkly earrings. Finally we go to Ulta and get a few make-up items to finish the look. By the time we return to Avengers Tower, it's almost time for me to leave. Quickly unpacking our newly purchased items, I grab a quick shower while Claire lays out my clothes. Finishing showering, I change into the white cotton dress and sandals, letting Claire do my make-up and add beach waves to my breast length hair.

"Ta da! My Mona Lisa." Claire says, turning me to face the mirror.

"Wow." I say, admiring Claire's amazing job.

My usually straight or pulled back hair is now wavy and rests on my breasts, my make-up is subtle with pink eye shadow and brown eyeliner making my brown eyes pop, and my lips are a hot pink adding color to their naturally red hue.

"You really out did yourself this time Claire. Thank you." I stand up and give her a hug, seeing the digital clock tell me I have two minutes to get downstairs to meet Steve.

"Good luck. Tell me everything later." Claire says, placing a pearl and diamond hair clip in my hair, keeping my side hairs away and allowing my side swept bangs to show more.

"I will. See you later." I say, placing a gun in the band around my thigh, which also holds my phone, knife, and emergency supplies.

Walking to the elevator I hit the down button, my stomach suddenly churning in anticipation. The elevator arrives quickly and the ride down seems to be faster than usual. When the doors open, I see a pacing Steve, dressed in a blue plaid shirt, brown leather jacket, tan khaki pants, and brown combat boots.

"Wow. You look beautiful." Steve says, seeing my entrance and his jaw literally falling open.

"I'll be taking my leave. Have fun, be good, and don't call me from jail." Claire says, hugging me and walking to the exit. "Treat her right or I'll make your life a living hell." Claire warns Steve, sending him a glare.

"Don't worry ma'am I will." Steve says, smiling at Claire despite her threat.

Nodding her head curtly, Claire leaves the building, leaving Steve and myself alone in the main foyer.

"You look beautiful." Steve repeats, unable to keep his eyes away from me.

"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself." I say, blushing at his compliment.

"Ready?" Steve asks, offering me his arm.

"Let's do it." I say, accepting his arm and allowing him to escort me.

We take a cab to Brooklyn where Steve takes me to one of his childhood diners. Ordering a vanilla milkshake, hamburger with fries, I inhale my food when it arrives, not worried about my weight. Steve also orders a large double hamburger, which he is surprised I down so easily.

"What was it like? Living during War World II?" I ask, genuinely curious about the time period.

"It was different. It's not like today. People were more trusting. The war was a huge deal because of Pearl Harbor. My best friend fought in the war." Steve says, a flash of something unreadable passing through his features at the mentioning of his friend.

"What was his name? Your friend?"

"Bucky. Bucky Barnes. We met in the orphanage and he looked out after me. As you probably heard, I was pretty sickly back then. He defended me when I couldn't defend myself. He was a great guy and a good friend." Steve says, a hurt look passing through his face.

Resting my hand on his, I place the other one under his chin, making him look at me and not the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Forget I said anything."

"No it's okay. I mean I've gotten over it. I know that even if he had survived the war, he'd probably be dead now. I've accepted that a lot of the people I knew back then aren't around anymore."

"That doesn't mean you miss them any less or that it hurts any more."

"I know, but I've accepted it. What about you? What was your childhood like?" Steve asks, changing the subject.

"I had a mom who loved me and would do anything to make me happy, so I was a pretty lucky girl." I say, smiling at mentioning my mom.

"Your mom sounded really great." Steve says, smiling at my smile.

"She was. Every Friday night she'd have a party. It was always after work. She'd bring home some cold drinks and some food and have the whole neighborhood over in our backyard. We'd have music, food, dancing. I remember we danced until the sun came up on Saturday morning once. We were close in our neighborhood and everyone loved my mom. She was a EMT nurse so she had these funny hours, but whenever she was home our house was always open to anyone." I say, thinking back to the fond memories.

"That sounds fun. Would you mind me asking about your dad?" Steve says bringing up a topic I had hoped to avoid for a while longer.

"My dad was sent to prison when I was eight. He never came back. His parole officer said he just skipped town. When my mom got sick, I started a search for him. I tried contacting him, but he wouldn't respond. When mom died, I sent him her obituary. I hoped it would make him want to come home and see me. But he just sent me some cash and his wedding ring." I say, a frown making its way onto my face at the mentioning of my father.

"I'm sorry. I wish he could be here to see what an amazing daughter he has." Steve says, giving me a small smile.

"It's fine. I'm over it. After my mom died I moved to Brooklyn to live with my aunt." I say, shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly.

"How long have you known your friend?"

"Claire? Since I was thirteen. She lived in Queens and volunteered in the south Bronx. We went to school together after I was expelled from middle school."

"Expelled?"

"Yeah for fighting mostly. And cutting classes." I reply feeling slightly embarrassed by my rebellious past.

"You fought? In school?" Steve asks, clearly surprised.

"Yeah, everyday till I got expelled."

"Who did you fight?"

"Random people. Where I'm from you either ride or die. I chose ride. I learned to throw my first punch when I was three. After that fighting was just natural. I hated the way most of the guys in my school treated girls, so every time one of them tried to hit on me, I'd hit them. Literally."

Looking at me worriedly, I can see my words going through Steve's head. Yes I admit, _some_ of the guys were dicks, but there were also a lot of rival guys from different neighborhoods, girls who tried to bully me, and a lot of people who tried to mess with me to get to my brother. I'm not proud of what I was when I was an adolescent, but I'm not ashamed of the fights either.

"Do you want to get outta here? I know a place where they play music and dance all night." I say, changing the subject.

"Sure." Steve says, pulling out his wallet and laying a few bills on the table.

Standing up, Steve offers me his arm to me. I accept, glad he hasn't totally lost interest in me due to my past.


	5. Chapter 5

Leaving the restaurant, I take Steve to an old place I know. It once was a YMCA club, but now it's been converted into a dance hall. Every night they have a band or DJ perform, and every Sunday is rodeo night. Inside, I'm greeted with the familiar sights and sounds of the dance hall.

"Why Miss Skylar! Look how you've grown!" An old familiar voice says behind us.

Turning around, I'm greeted with the friendly sight of Mac Hanover, a black fighter pilot from the Second World War. Old aged had been hard on the old man, especially after he lost his wife Cora.

"Mac! I'm so happy to see you." I say, happily wrapping my arms around his aging body.

Mac Hanover was one of the first black pilots to see action in World War II. He was tall for the day, standing at around 6'2 at his greatest height, now he's only around 6'. He's still strong as ever though, able to throw a punch that would knock a man's front tooth out. He's also just a short-tempered, foul mouthed, and mischievous as he was in his youth.

"What are you doing here in Brooklyn? Dustin didn't say anything about you coming." Mac says, having to talk near my ear for me to hear anything.

"I didn't tell Dust. I'm here on a date." I say, turning my head towards Steve.

"A date?! Does Dante know?" Mac asks, giving me a stern look and Steve a harsh stare.

"No. I haven't talked to him in awhile." I admit, feeling guilty about not having contacted my grandfather in nearly five years.

"Well you probably should. You know how Dante is." Mac suggests, giving me the 'we may be old, but we're still tough as ever' look.

"I will. I promise." I say, kissing Mac's cheek and leading him over towards Steve. "Mac I want you to meet Steve Rogers. Steve this is a family friend Mac."

"Nice to meet you." Steve says, shaking Mac's hand.

"I know you. You're Captain America! I used to read about your performances back in the day. My wife was a big fan of yours." Mac says, looking at Steve with admiration.

"Thank you, sir. You were a World War II Veteran?" Steve asks, looking a little less stressed to be in Mac's presence.

"Yes sir I was. I was with the Tuskegee air men." Mac says proudly, eyeing Steve for his reaction.

"That's great sir. A lot of brave men came from there." Steve replies, giving Mac a smile that can melt hearts.

"Skylar?" A male voice says behind our small group, making me turn around to be greeted by the sore-sight Josh Carmichael.

"Josh?"

"Wow you look beautiful. Long time no see." Josh says, coming forward and giving me a warm hug.

"You look great yourself. How have you been?" I ask, looking at the young man up and down.

Josh Carmichael was one of my friends in high school and ex boyfriend. He was the only person I ever dated, and the only one I ever kissed. We broke up when he left for UCLA and I went to NYU. He's tall, 6'2 with blonde hair, brown eyes, and muscular build. He was a street dancer, like me, and together we made a crew that won that street title for three years straight. He's also Mac's godson.

"I've been good. What about you? How was NYU?" Josh asks, smiling at me with his dazzling smile.

"It was good. How was UCLA? I heard you were on the football team."

"Yeah I made starting quarterback. It was good. I majored in business."

"That's great. So you're back here to dominate Wall Street?" I ask playfully, knowing Josh grew up on the richer side.

"Yeah I've been doing good. Dad's business is doing good and we're making a lot more money."

"That's great. Congratulation." I say. "Oh I'm being rude, Josh this is Steve. Steve this is Josh."

"Nice to meet you." Steve says, shaking Josh's hand and giving him a small smile.

"Likewise." Josh says, a strange look on his face. "Hey they have a band tonight, would you like to dance?"

"Um no, sorry." I reply, giving him a small smile.

"C'mon Sky, you love dancing." Josh says, tugging on my arms.

"Believe me Josh I haven't stopped dancing. It's just if I'm going to dance, I'll be dancing with my date." I reply, giving him an icy glare as warning to stop.

"Oh. Date?" Josh says, looking between Steve and myself.

"Yes, date. So if you excuse me." I say, grabbing Steve's hand and leading him towards the dance floor.

The crowd parts of us, and we walk to a corner of the dance floor, away from the band so Steve can hear what I'm saying. I start off by showing him the correct position to hold his arms and where to put his hands on me, one on my waist and the other in my hand. I then proceed to show him the square dance, consisting just of dancing in a small square. Steve's a fast learner and picks up on the moves quickly. Soon I teach him how to twirl, spin, and dip me. All the while I can feel eyes burning into me. Chancing one look, I see Josh staring at me, a drink in his hand. Ignoring my ex's strange behavior, I continue to teach Steve how to dance, moving on to show him different styles of dance. The band is currently playing swing dancing music, so I teach Steve the basic swing dancing steps. I show him how to move his feet, how to spin me without getting off step, and how to do the pretzel, which is my favorite swing move. By the time the band takes a short break, Steve and I are smiling, sweaty, and somewhat out of breath.

"Wow who knew dancing could be so much work." Steve says, rolling up his shirtsleeves.

"It isn't too much work. It just takes practice. You're doing great, by the way." I say, readjusting my clip.

"Do you want a drink?" Steve asks, motioning towards the bar.

"Water please." I say, giving him a smile and handing up a bill.

"No, it's a date. I'll pay." Steve says, refusing the money.

"Steve c'mon. You wouldn't let me pay for dinner, at least let me pay for drinks."

"No. A lady shouldn't have to pay on a date." Steve says firmly, giving me a polite nod before walking towards the bar.

Sighing, I can't help but smile at his retreating figure. _How did I get so lucky, as to get a guy like Steve?_

"The next few dances are going to be Salsa. Would you like to dance with me?" Josh's voice says behind me, making my smile fade and annoyance set in.

"What part of 'I'm on a date' do you not understand?" I snap, turning to meet him.

"The part where you're on a date with someone that's not me." Josh says, a cocky grin on his face.

"We broke up a long time ago for this very reason. You're such a dick!" I hiss at him, my anger rising.

"I'm sorry Sky! Believe me, if I could, I would change everything that happened _that_ night." Josh says, his temper also rising in his half-drunken state.

"Josh you're drunk. Just go home and sleep. Pretend you never saw me." I say, holding my hands up so he won't get any closer.

Ignoring my hands, Josh walks closer, a dangerous look in his dark brown orbs. "I said I was sorry! What more do I have to do to prove that I _love_ you! _Only_ you, Skylar!" Josh yells, invading my personal space and pinning me against the wall.

"Josh, stop it. You're drunk. You're not thinking. Go home." I say, my voice hard but not enough to scare a drunken Josh.

"I will never forgive myself for the pain I put you through. Why can't you believe me when I say I will _never_ hurt you again?" Josh says, his face coming closer to mine and the scent of bourbon on his breath.

"Josh, get off me. Now." I growl in a furious tone. My eyes are hard and I know Josh is taken back by my fury. He's seen my temper before, but never has it been directed at him. _There's a first for everything_.

"C'mon Sky, I know you still want me. Why else would you have shown up here? You know Mac owns this place." Josh says, his hands moving to grab hold of my arms.

"The lady said 'get off'. I suggest you listen." Steve's, surprisingly, threatening voice says. The look on his face is pure anger, his fists on clenched at his side and he looks ready to kill.

"Who do you think you are? She's my girl." Josh says, turning to face Steve and standing in front of me.

"She's _not_ your girl. She's her own person and neither you nor anyone else can claim her." Steve says, a threatening edge in his usual calm voice.

"She's enjoying it." Josh argues, his intoxicated state not letting him reason correctly.

"Not from where I'm standing. She said 'get off', now get off her." Steve says, looking at me.

"Fine." Josh says in an angry voice, suddenly charging at Steve and throwing a punch.

Easily dodging the messily thrown swing, Steve instantly goes on the defense, clearly not wanting to hurt Josh, but is willing to if necessary. Josh stumbles to the floor, picking himself up slowly before turning to face Steve again.

"Is that al you've got? She's mine!" Josh yells, charging at Steve again and throwing another punch.

He misses and Steve uses the opportunity to kick Josh's legs out from under him, making him fall to the floor. Retaliating quickly, Josh attempts to kick at Steve, missing and looking like a fish out of water.

"Josh enough!" Mac's angry voice yells at his enraged godson.

Walking through the crowd, Mac stands above Josh, an angry snarl on his old face. I quickly rush towards Steve, standing by his side and looking at Mac worriedly. The old man is known for his temper and fighter qualities. He never backs down from a challenge or a fight and he's not one to stand for injustice.

"Mac? That douche is trying to separate me and Skylar." Josh says in a slurring voice, the alcohol taking effect.

"Skylar and me." Mac corrects, his anger still evident, but dissolving at Josh's clearly smashed state.

Mumbling something incoherent, Josh merely picks himself up, sending an evil glare towards Steve and a sad look towards me.

"Sorry about this Skylar." Mac apologizes, sending Steve and me a polite nod before leaving with a fading Josh.

"It's okay, Mac. Thank you." I reply, looking up at Steve to see his face still hard. "Hey it's okay." I take Steve's face in my hands, making him look at me.

"I'm sorry Sky. I should've been there to protect you." Steve says, upset with himself more than anything.

"It's okay. No harm, no foul. Besides I can hold my own. C'mon lets get out of here." I say, taking his hands in mine and leading us through the doors of the dance hall.

Walking outside on the first cold September night, I shiver slightly, my dress not offering much warmth. Seeing my goosebumps, Steve removes his leather jacket, placing the warm clothing on my shoulders. Giving him a small smile as thanks, I take his hand and lead him towards the riverside, the Brooklyn Bridge and the city lights of Manhattan island lighting up the night sky.

"My brothers and used to come down here. We'd find ourselves a bench and just hang out and have a picnic. Sometimes we'd bring a football or Frisbee and just throw it around down here." I say, breaking the serene silence as we walk.

"You sound very close to your brothers." Steve says, looking at me instead of the amazing scene of New York.

"We were. When I was in college, I'd come home on the weekends and visit my uncle, aunt and them. Sometimes I'd even take them on a road trip to Niagara Falls if it were a long weekend."

"What are your brother's names?" Steve asks as we stop in front of a bench facing the harbor. We sit down, Steve wrapping his arms around me.

"My older brother is named Dustin. My two younger brothers are Chase and Russ. Chase is the youngest." I say, smiling at mentioning my siblings.

"Do you keep in contact with them?"

"Chase and Russ are buried in a cemetery in the south Bronx." I say, looking down at my lap.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea." Steve says, tightening his hold on me and pulling me closer unknowingly.

"Russ was killed in a shooting at his college and Chase in a car accident with a drunk driver. They were both nineteen." I say, remembering the day I received the news that Russ had been shot and taken to the emergency room. Chase and I had rushed there, Dustin meeting us at the hospital. They said they couldn't do anything to save him; the bullet had broken a rib, which had punctured his lung. He died in the hospital with his family by his side. Chase died a year later. He was coming home late from work when he was t-boned in an intersection by a drunk driver. The driver lived and Chase died in the hospital because of his wounds. Again, Dustin and I were by his side. The driver was sent to prison for twenty years to life. Convicted of DUI, manslaughter, and reckless endangerment. Later we learned he was killed in prison.

"I'm sorry. I wish I knew of something more comforting to say." Steve says, sorrow in his voice.

"It's okay. I know they're safe now." I say in a small voice, resting my head on his chest. I listen to his heartbeat, the steady rhythm making me feel better.

I don't know how long we sat there, just watching the city and enjoying the silence. But somewhere along the way, Steve had gotten up and pulled me to my feet and hailed a cab back to Avengers Tower. The cab ride is quiet, me resting my head on Steve's shoulder and playing with his fingers while he gentle rubs circles on my back. He pays and thanks the driver before escorting me to the doors of Tower, entering the security passwords to enter. Inside, we remain quiet as we walk to the elevator, the only sound being when the elevator arrives.

"Thank you. I had a really great night." I say, giving him a warm smile.

"Me too. I'm sorry about Josh." Steve says, looking slightly uncomfortable with the topic.

"Me too. I had no idea he'd be there. _Believe_ me there is _nothing_ going on between us anymore. I haven't seen him in eight years." I say, looking him in the eye.

"I believe you. I'm sorry he treated you that way and I wasn't there to stop it sooner."

"Don't worry about it. I can handle myself." I say, shrugging it off.

The elevator arrives at my floor. The doors open, but I don't feel like leaving Steve's company so soon.

"Do you want to come in? Have a drink?" I ask, holding the door open.

"I'd love to." Steve says, walking in and sitting down at the bar.

I kick off my shoes and walk towards the fridge, getting out two beers. I'm still wearing his jacket, the warmth and the smell of him making me never want to take it off. I hand him his beer, drinking mine while leaning against the counter.

"Where did you learn to dance?" Steve asks, breaking the silence.

"My mom taught me before I could walk. When I was really little, she'd play music in the house and I would stand on top of my dad's feet and he'd dance with me. I always loved seeing my parents dance together, they were both excellent dancers, especially my dad." I reply, smiling at the few happy memories of a family I have. "What about you? Where did you learn to dance?"

"With you. I'd never gone dancing before now. I was supposed to, but I never made the date." Steve says, sadness in his voice.

"With Peggy Carter?" I ask, having done a little research on Captain America when I learned he was to be stationed on the helicarrier.

"Yeah. I promised I'd take her dancing. But then I crashed into the ocean and slept for seventy years." Steve says, a distant look in his blue eyes.

"I'm sorry." I say, looking down at my feet.

Of course I could never match what Peggy Carter and Steve had. She was beautiful, smart, and tough. He was head-over-heels for her apparently. I had Stark tell me about the two after the Hulk incident. He told me about what his father had said about them, how jealous Peggy was when Steve kissed someone else and how she was broken hearted when he crashed. But she moved on and married someone else, having a couple children with her husband. Regardless, Peggy was Steve's first love and probably the only woman he would really ever love. Why would he love me? A street girl from south Bronx with a convict father and a soldier turned criminal for a brother. I myself had done a lot of things I'm not proud of, but I've never regretted them. Somehow, Steve had moved from his place behind the bar to stand right in front of me, placing a hand under my chin and making me look up at his blue eyes.

"Skylar what's wrong?" Steve asks.

"Nothing. I'm fine." I lie, giving him a weak smile, which he sees right through.

"Something's bothering you. What's wrong?" Steve asks, a stern look in his eyes.

"Nothing. It's just- why me?" I ask, voicing the question eating me up inside.

"What?"

"Why me? Why did you ask me out? Why did you choose me? There are hundreds of other agents at S.H.I.E.L.D., definitely a lot prettier than me. So why did you choose me?" I ask, looking into his eyes.

"Because, you're kind. You care about your job. You're a good person." Steve says, looking dead serious.

I feel the weight of my insecurities lift off my shoulders, but the nagging feeling that Steve still doesn't know all about my past or me still bothers me. Yet, I feel that for now, at least for this moment I can be happy. Looking into Steve's sky blue eyes, I know he's telling the truth. He does like me, for me, and there's something inside me he likes and wants to get to know. And for the first time in forever, I feel like I've actually found someone who I can trust and maybe even love.


	6. Chapter 6

Kissing down Steve's neck, I lick his Adam's apple, knowing he likes it. Just as I thought, the throaty moan that follows my action is enough encouragement for me to continue my exploration.

I don't know how we ended up here. Me sitting on the counter with Steve's muscular body between my legs. Somewhere in on our conversation, we had left the beer and innocent flirtation behind and started something more mature. Of course my experience with flirtation, seduction, and sex is slim to none, and whatever skills I have naturally, seem too awkward and juvenile for a grown-ass woman that I am. For some reason, Steve doesn't seem to mind, only taking as much as I'm offering, not any more or any less.

"You smell delicious." Steve says, his head buried in my shoulder my hair falling down my side.

Moaning, I can't help but blush at Steve's compliment. Sure I tried putting on some perfume that didn't smell like deodorant or my shampoo. I had no idea that my new tropical scent would be so appealing to a man as old-fashion and conservative as Steve. I mentally note to try more perfumes in to the future.

We continue to kiss, exploring new places as we become more adventuresome. I find Steve particularly likes it when I squeeze him with my legs or tug on his hair at the back of his neck. I realize I love it when Steve goes a little rough, letting his primal urges free for a moment. Frustrated I am unable to feel his smooth skin beneath my fingers, I quickly find the buttons on Steve's shirt, undoing the lock hiding my desire.

"Someone's anxious." Steve says, his voice husky and breathless.

"You want me to stop?" I ask, freezing my fingers on his last button, revealing a white undershirt.

"No. Only if you don't want to. I mean-I don't want to force you to do something you're not ready for." Steve says, stumbling over his words.

"Steve, it's okay. No one makes me do anything I don't want to." I say, giving him a reassuring kiss on the mouth. Undoing the final button, I push the plaid shirt away, grabbing the hem of the white shirt and pulling up.

Steve does his part and lifts his arms up, allowing me to throw the shirt on the floor joining our forgotten shoes and his plaid shirt. Refusing our mouths once more, Steve lifts me up, keeping a firm hand underneath my thighs and the other to hold my head to his lips. Successfully keeping me pressed against every inch of his amazing body. Pulling back and looking at me with scrutinizing eyes, Steve suddenly pauses in or ministrations.

"Are you sure? I'm this close to losing it, Sky." Steve says, asking permission to take a home run.

"I'm sure. Don't hold back." I say, giving him a smile that lights up my entire face. Steve also smiles a thousand watt smile at my reply, pulling me in for another searing kiss. By the end of the night, we move from my kitchen counter to my bed.

* * *

The following morning I feel a delicious burn between my legs, an ache in my muscles, and a warm and tight hold around my waist. Looking at Steve sleeping form, I remember last night and all the _things_ we did. Blushing at the thought, I bury my head deeper into Steve's shoulder, inhaling his masculine scent and aftershave.

* * *

The second time I awake, I'm greeted by the smell of cooking food and the sound of something sizzling. Getting out of bed, I find a random shirt and walk out to the kitchen. The sight before me is one I'll cherish forever. A half-naked Captain America is in _my_ kitchen, cooking _me_ breakfast, while looking _sexy_ as ever in his bed hair, boxers, and slight five o'clock shadow.

"Morning. I hope I didn't wake you." Steve says, not taking his eyes off the stove while flipping something in the pan.

"No not all. I'm starving what are you making?" I reply, trying to look over his shoulder.

"scrambled eggs, real bacon, and some apple cider." Steve replies, glancing at me from the side. Groaning in what seems to be frustration, I notice Steve look away quickly before chancing a glance back at me.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" I ask, my fingers instinctively going to my face to check.

"No. It's just- you're wearing my shirt. Again." Steve says, catching me off guard.

"Oh sorry. I didn't- I can change." I say, getting ready to go back to my room.

"No! You look good in my shirt. I hope I can see you wear it more often." Steve clarifies, making me blush at his compliment.

"Thank you. It's quite comfortable. I think I'll keep this one too, add it to my collection." I reply, hugging myself in the soft cotton fabric. Chuckling, Steve focuses on finishing cooking while I set the table.

A few minutes later, Steve presents his product. The eggs are delicious, the bacon crunchy, and the cider warm. A perfect start to the weekend. As we eat, I notice Steve really can't take his eyes off me. The thought is both scary as well as promising. _Maybe I do have a chance after all._

"What's got your attention this mornin', cap?" I ask, giving my best flirtatious look.

"Uh nothing. I mean you, but nothing. I mean-um..." Steve tried to respond, failing with his words.

"While you try to find your tongue, I'm going to take a shower. Last night got me pretty worked up." I say, standing and making sure to brush Steve's shoulder as I pass. I place my dishes in the sink and rinse them off, watching Steve at the corner of my eye. "You know, while cat's still got your tongue, you could use it more for action than words. Your choice." Making my way towards my room, I pause while barely in Steve's sight. "Also, I could use company."

Steve practically bolts from his seat and lifts me off the ground, pressing his lips to mine and letting me feel how much he truly desires me. I moan in response, unable to not resist wrapping my legs around his waist and squeezing, bringing him closer to me. I'm not wearing any underwear so the only barrier are Steve's cotton boxers with American flags.

"Shower. Now." I moan out, kissing Steve's neck and biting when Steve's large hands squeeze my butt.

"Yes ma'am." Steve replies, squeezing my ass once more before walking towards our destination, me still wrapped around his body.

* * *

After a...thorough shower, Steve and I decide to visit the penthouse level. The elevator ride is quiet, neither of us speaking or touching afraid of what we'd start. When the doors slide open, we're greeted with the friendly sight of all the Avengers lounging about enjoying their Saturday off. Tony and Clint are playing Xbox and attempting teach the god of thunder the basic controls in their car racing game and Bruce and Natasha are involved in a serious looking Chess game. Both concentrating extremely hard and not noticing our arrival.

"So you two decided to take a break and join us?" Tony asks in a knowing tone, holding out a hand towards Clint. "Pay up Katniss."

Grudgingly, Clint hands Tony twenty bucks, making Clint grumble something that sound like profanities, and Tony smirk with triumph.

"You were betting on us?" Steve asks in an irritated voice, moving towards the archer and billionaire threateningly.

"Steve it's okay. Let them indulge themselves in their juvenile ways." I say, giving Tony and Clint an icy glare that have both men bowing their heads like scolded children.

"Not that this isn't interesting to see earth's mightiest heroes get disciplined, but I have an important assignment for Agent Anderson." Fury's voice says, making Steve and I turn around to greet the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Sir! I didn't know you were here." I say, embarrassed to know my boss was present during this conversation.

"It's alright Anderson, you're not in trouble. I'm actually here because a mission has been brought to my attention and I need you." Director Fury says, handing me a file.

"What's the mission sir?" I ask, opening the file to reveal Dante's mug shot.

"Dante Carano has given himself over to the authorities and requests your presence."

"Her presence? What for?" Steve asks, instantly becoming protective.

"Apparently you two have…history together." Fury replies, looking at me with a hard eye.

"History? What kind of history?" Tony asks, pausing the game and coming towards us, bringing Thor and Clint as well.

Looking down at the file, I see there is no mention of me on the file. All the relations say, "deceased" and the only living relative are several grandchildren.

"Sir, with all do respect, I haven't spoken to him in nearly five years. I don't think it'd be appropriate to-"

"Anderson I need you to come in and talk to him. He won't talk to anyone else. Hill, myself, and several other top interrogators have tried. He's not talking." Fury says, interrupting me and giving me a pleading look.

Sighing, I look back down at his picture, feeling something underneath the paper. Moving the picture aside, I find in a plastic evidence bag, a silver cross necklace on a silver chain. Opening the bag and removing the necklace, I finger the silver jewelry full of memories.

"Okay. I'll talk to him." I say, wrapping the necklace around my wrist and handing the file back to Fury.

* * *

I'm taking to a secure location. Steve, being over-protective, rides along. My stomach feels like it's been doing summersaults for nearly an hour now. The queasiness doesn't go away as the black suburban pulls up to an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city. Inside, I'm escorted to a large open room with a glass prison cell, much like the Hulk's on the helicarrier. Seated patiently in the center of the cell is Dante. Smiling as I approach the cell, the old man rises from his seat and walks closer towards the window.

"Lizzie, how good to see you again." Dante says, his raspy voice silky as ever.

"Dante, trapped in a cage. Not surprising." I say, my face emotionless, my voice cold.

Chuckling, Dante just smiles at my façade. "Oh Lizzie you should know you can't fool an old dog like me."

"I wasn't trying to fool anyone. I'm honest. Unlike some people." I say, an edge growing in my voice as my eyes harden.

Smile disappearing instantly, Dante's dark and cold demeanor begins to show. "I never lied to you. I only ever did what I did to protect _you_."

"Call it what you like, but you lied. We're done here." I say, turning to leave.

"Have you contacted him?" Dante asks, making me pause in my leave.

Turning around slowly, I see a sad look on my grandfather's face. It's not a look I enjoy seeing, but it's one I know he wears a lot more, recently. "No. Why would I contact him? He walked out."

"He only did what he did to protect you. Just like me." Dante argues, looking at me with loving eyes despite his cold, heartless exterior.

"Whatever. He abandoned me for eighteen years. He's had plenty of opportunities to contact me before. I'm done." I say, walking closer to the glass prison and glaring at the man sitting behind the barrier.

"He loves you."

"He left me."

"He'll always protect you."

"He's the cause of my pain."

"Don't give up on him too soon."

Hearing enough, I walk away, feeling the angry tears grow at the back of my eyes. _Forgive? Ha, never. _

"Is that all?" I ask, entering the control room where Fury, Steve, and Hill are all waiting patiently for me.

"No. We need more information." Fury says, hitting a few keys on the keyboard and opening up a virtual file. "We need the location of him. Red Skull."

Tensing at the name, I look at Steve and notice his face hard, jaw tight, and muscles tensed. "Red Skull? He's supposed to be dead! Steve killed him nearly seventy-years ago. How did he survive without us knowing?"

"It appears, circumstantially, that Dante may or may not have aided him recently in the last thirty years." Fury says, motioning towards the monitor watching Dante.

"No. That's impossible. He may be _many_ things, but he wouldn't harbor an ex-Nazi." I say, my anger rising.

"Agent Anderson we don't know if he did or did not. All we know is Dante surrendered himself to the CIA and only requested to talk to you. Everything else is just evidence we found in his brief case that was with him at the time. Passports, money, and a plane ticket for Bavaria." Fury says, showing me pictures of the items.

"Bavaria? Why?"

"We don't know. He won't answer any questions. The most we've heard him talk is with you." Maria interrupts, clearly angry and annoyed by the situation.

"You want me to ask." I say, knowing the only reason I'm here is because Dante wants me to be.

"Why do you want to go to Bavaria?" I ask, sitting across an interrogation table from the man that I've known as 'grandfather' for twenty years, but who has killed or ordered the killing of hundreds of people.

"How are you Lizzie? I haven't heard from you in, five years." Dante asks, ignoring my question and looking at me with honest eyes.

"Answer the question Dante. If that's really your name." I snap back, my eyes warning him to not stray off topic.

"It is my real name. I may be many things, but I am not a liar to my grandchildren. Well, most of them." Dante replies, looking at me with an emotionless expression.

"Why do you have a plane ticket for Bavaria?" I ask again, my patience running thin.

"To visit a friend. I have a home in the Alps and I was hoping to visit it one last time before the snow comes." Dante replies, a hint of something else in his words, but I'm not sure what of.

"Do you know a man by the name Johann Shmidt? He also refers to himself as Red Skull."

"I do not. Next question."

"Have you ever seen this man?" I ask, laying pictures of Shmidt in both his red skull form and 'human' form.

"No. I hate to say I have not." Dante says, sighing in exasperation.

"Then we're done here." I say, making my way toward the door.

"You look beautiful Liz." Dante says, making me pause at the handle, getting ready to turn it. "Just like your mother when she was your age."

Ignoring his emotional jab, I turn the handle and stalk out of the room, slamming the door shut. Walking into Fury's office where Maria and Steve are waiting, I throwing the pictures down in frustration.

"I can't do this! I'm sorry. That man is infuriating." I growl in annoyance, feeling disgusted with myself for letting him get under my skin so easily.

"Relax Anderson. This is exactly what he wants you to be. Frustrated, anger, maybe even a little confused." Fury tries to comfort me sounding more irritated himself.

"I told you sir, she wasn't capable of handling him. We need a professional interrogated, not some wanna-be doctor." Hill says in a cold voice, ignoring my presence in the room.

"Excuse me? A 'wanna-be doctor'?" I say, my anger rising as I turn my attention towards the second in command at S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Yes, wanna-be doctor. You do not have the training, or the qualities of an interrogator or a doctor for that matter. I have long questioned why you were recruited for S.H.I.E.L.D., and today's performance just solidifies my belief." Maria says, turning towards me as a superior, not a friend.

"Agent Hill, enough." Fury snaps, silencing the beautiful agent in a heartbeat. "I was hoping you were going to have more success with Ramirez, but since he refuses to be helpful. I'm sending you to Bavaria where you will find this house in the Alps and report back whatever you find."

"Yes sir. When do I leave?" I reply, quickly facing director Fury and becoming professional.

"Tonight. You will be on a S.H.I.E.L.D. jet that will take you to a secure base in Bavaria before you start the search for the house." Fury says, writing a few things down before handing them to Maria.

"What about me, sir? I do not feel it safe for Skylar to travel alone on such a dangerous mission." Steve asks, a stern look on his face.

"I agree, Rogers. That is why I'm sending Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff along with her." Fury replies, handing me a file.

"Thank you, sir." I say, leaving the room with Steve on my heels.

* * *

The drive back to Avengers Tower is silent. I know Steve is mad he didn't get assigned to the mission. Red Skull is, after all, his first enemy who killed Dr. Erskine and tortured his friends. We exit the car, walking towards the elevators. We're still quiet. I'm not sure if it's because of his anger of not being assigned to the mission or because of something else. Either way, Steve still has an emotionless expression on his face. We reach the top floor quickly, the elevator ride quiet.

"Hey guys, what the matter?" Bruce asks, seeing Steve's cold face and noticing my quietness.

"Where are Clint and Natasha?" Steve asks, ignoring Bruce's question and walking towards a laptop.

"We're right here. What's wrong?" Clint asks, coming into view sweaty and dressed in gym clothes.

"We're going to Bavaria." I say, handing Natasha the file and going over to get myself a drink.

"Bavaria? What for?" Clint asks, looking over Natasha's shoulder.

"Dante Ramirez is said to have a house in the Alps. Fury wants us to go check it out." I say grabbing a bottled water and taking a swig.

"When do we leave?" Natasha asks, becoming all-professional.

"Tonight."


	7. Chapter 7

We arrive in Bavaria around eighteen hundred hours (6 pm) local time. Exhausted from the long flight, I instantly go to sleep, too tired to review the notes or files waiting to be read. The next morning, refreshed from a good night's sleep, I begin the long tedious process of reading file, after file, after file on Red Skull, Bavaria, and the supposed location of Dante's Alpine home.

"Morning, someone's up early." Clint says, entering the room and making a pot of coffee.

"Couldn't sleep any longer. What about you? Always up at the crack of dawn?" I ask, moving some files over so the archer can join me at the table.

"Nah, only when I can't sleep." Clint replies, sitting down.

"Still have nightmares?" I ask, looking at the handsome assassin with concern.

"Not as bad as they used to." Clint shrugs it off, although I can see the clear black bags under his blue eyes. "What time we are we going to see Dante's place?"

"Nat wants to leave before seven so we have all day to find it. According to the map and coordinates it's supposed to be located about fifteen miles up the side of the mountain." I say, handing the map, coordinates, and detailed reports of the area to the archer.

"Great. I'll go check on her." Clint says, getting up and walking towards Natasha's bedroom door.

* * *

Ten minutes till seven, the three of us are on the road driving up the mountain in search of the house. Clint drives while Natasha reads the map and I sit in the backseat reviewing the list of possible locations for Schmidt's new hideout.

"Hey Sky, have you ever seen this place?" Clint asks, making me look up from the file.

"No. Why?" I ask, leaning forward to look out the front.

"Because I think 'house' is an understatement." Clint says, parking the car and getting out.

Natasha and I follow, looking up the dirt path. Clint's right, 'house' is an understatement. The Alpine home is more of a small castle, with towers, balconies, and courtyards to match that of the grandest castles. We follow the path towards the front gate. Using an exploding arrow, Clint blows the front door off, granting us access.

"Meet back here in ten minutes. I'm going to find the main monitor room." Clint says, turning on his communicator and readying his bow.

Walking towards the main front door, I open the heavy entrance and begin to look around. I also turn on my communicator and ready my gun. Looking through the different doors on the main hallway, I don't see anything suspicious. From the looks of things, it appears that no one has been here in quite some time.

"All clear here. Natasha what did you find?" I say into my communicator, getting ready to leave and wait outside.

"Nothing. All clear." Natasha's voice fills my ear.

Reaching the exit, I suddenly feel something prick my neck. _Dart_. Shooting off my gun with the last of my consciousness, the last thing I see is a pair of dark boots before my world goes black.

* * *

The next thing I feel when I wake up is a massive headache and a throbbing pain in my body. Slowly, I open my eyes to an amazing view of the snow-covered mountains. I look down and find myself bound to a board of some kind, with straps and chains keeping me from moving. The room around me is poorly lit, the only light coming from the cloudy day outside. There are medical machines and equipment on a table nearby and some very scary looking tools. The room is large, most likely a lab room or office of some sort.

"Ah you're up." A male voice says with a heavy accent laced in his words.

Freezing, I look up slowly, meeting the sunken face, wicked white teeth, and blood red face. _Red Skull_. Scared is an understatement at what I feel. All I can think about is the evil look he's giving me.

"What's the matter? Never seen this?" Shmidt asks, motioning towards his face.

Not blinking, I stare unwavering into the Skull's face. Although I can feel the bile of hatred, fear, and disgust, I hold it in, meeting Red Skull's glare with an icy stare of my own.

"Fine then. You may not be talking now, but you'll be screaming soon enough." Red Skulls says with a promising glare.

Leaving me alone in the room once more, I have a chance to scrutinize my surroundings and search for an escape. Finding none, I look down at the shackles holding me hostage. Struggling a bit more, I fight back the pain as the chains bit into my skin, leaving deepening cuts into my wrists and forearms. Looking at the nearby table, I see the items that I was carrying before I was taken. My communicator! Reaching out my hand the little distance that's allowed, I attempt to reach the table. Barely brushing my tips against the cool metal table, I can almost reach the small communicator that will save me. Leaning all my weight on one side, I stretch with all my might, able to brush my fingers against the small metal electronic device. Finally able to curl my fingers around the small object, I pull it to me, hitting the red emergency button.

"Please, please be there." I whisper to myself, sending a silent prayer to the heavens.

* * *

I awake to the painful sting of something being shot in my arm. Crying out in pain, I can't help but feel hot tears sting my dry eyes.

"Easy there. Don't want our precious gem to be damaged." Shmidt's voice says with a malicious intent behind his words.

"Yes, sir." The male doctor says, gentle easing the next needle into my arm gentler.

"Amazing. One girl can be the deciding factor between normal mankind and superior human beings." Red Skull's voice says, watching intently as the doctor sticks another needle into my skin, injecting some kind of fluid into me.

"Sir her body is handling the injections very well. Would you like to up the dosage?" The male doctor says, watching my vitals on a screen.

"Yes. Give her three-quarters of the serum and tomorrow we'll give her the last." Red Skull says, leaving the room.

Finishing with the injections, I'm finally left alone. Falling in and out of sleep, my mind can't seem to focus on anything. The room is swirling and I feel nauseous. When I wake up for the third time, it's again to the prick of a needle and the pain of the injection.

"Last one. I promise. The side effects may include vomiting, hallucinations, and unconsciousness." The doctor says in a whispered voice.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask, my voice dry and rough from the lack of hydration.

"No time. I'm giving you the last of the serum. I pray that you may escape before Shmidt discovers it." The doctor says, done with the injection and moving on to give me something else. "Drink this. It's a special liquid that will help hydrate you quickly without having to use the bathroom."

Drinking the offered liquid, I am grateful for the kindness of the doctor, even though I can't see his face. Shortly after Shmidt enters, a smug look on his face.

"Well doctor I believe we've done it. We have successfully recreated Erskine's serum." Red says, looking at me closely. "How are her vitals?"

"Steady. No sign of resistance to the serum."

"Good. We'll need her alive to test it's capabilities." Shmidt says, looking at me over thoroughly.

A sudden crash and explosion fills the room and the wonderful sight of the red and gold Iron Man suit appears in front of me. Soon Steve's new dark blue suit enters the room as well, a relieved look on his face at seeing me.

"Johann Shmidt. Been awhile since we last saw each other." Steve says in a calm voice, looking deadly serious at the ex-Nazi.

"Captain America. And here I thought every good captain goes down with his ship." Shmidt retorts, walking closer to meet Steve.

"They do. But the best captains rise again." I interject, making Shmidt and Steve look my way.

"Well this time, I'll make sure you stay down." Shmidt yells, charging at Steve and swinging the first punch.

Quickly busying himself with Steve, Shmidt ignores Tony's armored figure, allowing the billionaire to knock the Hydra doctor out and set me free.

"You're okay, Sky?" Tony asks, helping stand.

"Yeah, just been injected with God knows what for the last three days. I'm fine." I reply, barely able to stand on my own.

"We're going to get you help. Hang tight." Tony says, slapping something over my wrists.

The silver metal bracelets suddenly begin to glow, moving up my skin to create armor. A helmet covers my face as suddenly I'm greeted with screens displaying all the functions, capabilities, and weapons in the suit.

"Good day Miss Skylar. What shall I help you with?" Jarvis' voice says in the helmet, making me smile with happiness.

"Get her out of her and to S.H.I.E.L.D. now." Tony says, hitting a button on the suit's wrists sending me flying throw the window.

The suit's autopilot takes me straight towards the helicarrier, hovering nearby Shmidt's hideout. Landing on the flight deck, Bruce and Thor are waiting along with a full team of medical staff. Thor quickly wraps his arms around me, steadying me as the suit suddenly retracts, revealing myself to the medics. I just then realize I'm only wearing a thin black sports bra and black compression shorts. The rest of my body is covered in cuts, bruises, and needle marks from all the injections.

"Quickly, set her down." Bruce orders the god, pushing a stretcher towards us. "I need an MRI, x-ray, and blood test now."

Rushing through the doors of the helicarrier, I'm quickly taken to the medical bay, where I'm lifted onto a bed and where doctors begin to frantically move around me, Bruce yelling at them. I find myself drifting in and out of consciousness as the moments pass. Black spots litter my vision and suddenly everything becomes blurry or dizzy without warning. I don't know how long I'm able to stay conscious, but soon I find myself in a black bliss, the sound of the outside world fading away.

* * *

I hear a voice, calling to me in my black slumber. I don't know where I am, all I know is I'm completely alone in a black space less universe. There's no floor, ceilings, or walls. No sunlight, moonlight, or darkness. It's merely black. Everything around me is black. I'm floating on air and I can't seem to be able to find my footing. A voice calls to me again, bringing in some light, filling the darkness.

"Skylar! Skylar! Skylar!" It keeps yelling, surrounding me and filling me with worried and anxious feelings. "Skylar wake up! Skylar please come back to me! Please! I need you!" The voice continues to yell, making me spin in circles looking for its owner.

_Wait, I know that voice. Steve? Steve!_ The voice belongs to Steve, I can suddenly remember the voice, recognize the deep masculine voice that was whispering sweet things into my ear barely a week ago. A voice that I want to wake up everyday for the rest of my life and hear every time I go to sleep. It's the first thing I want to hear from now on and the last thing I want to see before I close my eyes. Steve's voice, his face, his body. Feel his hands on me as we lay side by side in bed. I want his breath to fan across my face and warm me to my core. That's what I want. _I have to get out of here! I have to see him! At least one last time._ Forcing myself, I can start to see more light enter the blackness around me. There's no longer nothing.

I open my eyes to see Steve's worried face mere inches from mine. His eyebrows are wrinkled and the frown lines on his face are more prominent. He's sweaty, his hair's a mess, and there's dirt, blood, and scratches on his face. His uniform is dirty with tears and stains. Overcome with joy, I don't care what he looks like, how he smells, or if he's wearing the dirtiest uniform in the world. He's here. He's really here. No more lonely nights of torture and stillness. No more injections and masked faces. No more Red Skull. Throwing myself into in arms, I wrap mine around his neck, pulling him closer, inhaling his scent that I've come to know and love.

"Steve." I whisper against his neck, feeling the wet salty tears leaking from my eyes.

"Skylar! I thought I lost you." Steve says, holding me tighter and sitting me on his lap as he climbs onto the hospital bed I'm lying on. "I thought I lost you."

"I thought I lost you too." I reply, burying my face deeper into his chest and letting his scent surround me and make me whole. _Whole? Steve makes me whole? I haven't realized until now that yes, Steve does make me whole. Whenever I'm with him I feel like there's a part of me that's finally back where it belongs. And whenever I'm away from him, I feel like I've lost something. Something important and precious. I love Steve. I love him like I've never loved anyone. Is this what my mom felt like when she met my dad? The feeling of being so complete it hurts to be apart? _The days I was away and imprisoned in Red Skull's hideaway had been torture. The not knowing if Steve was coming, dead, or trapped somewhere made my heartache with unknown pain. The injections and tests Shmidt had put me through only added to the emotional pain I was feeling. "I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you." I whisper into Steve's chest, kissing the skin I find there and hugging him closer.

"I love you too. I love you so much." Steve replies, burying his face in my head and inhaling my scent.

"Whoa sorry am I interrupting something." Bruce's surprised voice says, making us look towards the reddening doctor.

"No. Come in, Dr. Banner. What is it?" Steve says, a full fledge smile spreading across his face as I snuggle deeper into him as Bruce types something on the computer, bringing up pictures on the surrounding monitors.

"It appears everything is stable. There's no sign of resistance to whatever Shmidt put into you, Skylar." Bruce says, showing me some pictures and graphs of my body. "The toxin levels are low, the white blood cells are low, and the red blood cells are behaving normal. Everything appears to be working smoothly."

"But there's a catch. What is it?" I say, knowing Bruce is hiding the bad news.

"What Shmidt gave you was the finish product of a super soldier serum. A replica of what Dr. Erskine had been successful at making seventy years ago. There's a slight modification, however, in what Shmidt gave you. It is basically a replication of Erskine's work, only with a little bonus. Shmidt apparently added in snake venom."

"Snake venom?!" Steve and I say in unison, looking wide-eyed at Bruce than at me.

"Snake venom? What kind of venom?" Steve asks, clearly surprised by Bruce's statement.

"I'm not sure. The only venom we were able to find and identify positively is cobra venom. Everything else has already been mixed with your blood." Bruce replies, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Thank you, Bruce." I say, giving him a warm smile for his efforts.

"No problem, Skylar. We were all worried." Bruce says, walking over and giving me a small hug. "Especially the captain." The Hulk whispers into my ear, though we both know Steve heard it.

"Thanks Bruce." Steve says, giving Bruce a handshake before pushing him towards the door.

Once Bruce is gone and the door securely shut, I wait for Steve to talk, looking up at him expectantly.

"What?" Steve asks, confusion on his face.

"You were worried." I say, stating a fact more so than a question.

"Yeah. I mean-we all were. When Clint said you had fired a shot, I knew something bad happened. And then when they couldn't find you, anywhere, I kind of…lost it." Steve says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Lost it? How so?" I ask, shifting to look him square in the face.

"I may have said a few choice words to Clint and Natasha when they came back." Steve admits. "And Director Fury."

"Cap was so furious, he broke his record on destroyed punching bags." Tony says, walking into the room holding a large bouquet of flowers.

"Not helping, Stark." Steve groans, looking even more embarrassed.

"That was nothing compared to what Tony did." Natasha says, coming into the room with Thor and Clint on her heels.

"Why? What did Tony do?" I ask, my ears perking up at the female assassin's words.

"He freaked out. Had an anxiety attack and everything." Clint says, giving me a stuffed bear with a 'get well' pillow sewed to the front.

"You had an anxiety attack?!" I nearly shout, looking at Tony worriedly.

"It wasn't a big deal. Thor here really had a reaction." Tony says, patting Thor's muscular arm.

"I was worried about our dear friend, Lady Skylar. If anything would've happened to her, I would have damned her captors to the very pits of-"

"Yeah we know Thor. Relax, she's safe." Tony interrupts, again patting Thor's arm reassuringly.

"That's right and Shmidt's not going to be hurting you again." Steve says, tightening his grip on me and a dark look clouding his features.

"That's right. If he wants his precious lab rat, he has to go through all of us." Tony says, a defensive look coming upon his face as well.

"What did y'all do?" I ask, slightly frightened by the murderous looks on my friends' faces.

"Nothing you need to worry about. Right now, you're only priority is to rest and get better. We'll have the results on your blood-toxin levels shortly and whatever Shmidt put into you we'll know by tomorrow." Bruce says, walking in and writing something on a clipboard before typing something into the computer, the monitor screens changing.

"Yes doctor. When will I be ready to get back to work?"

"Not for awhile. Whatever Shmidt's doctors gave you is highly toxic. I'm surprised you as conscious and alert as you are. They must've given you at least thirty injections."

"More than that. I got thirty in one day. But that was the only time I was conscious, who knows how much they gave me before I woke up." I say, looking at the bandages covering my arms from the injections.

"My point. You need rest. Tomorrow we'll worry about getting you back into shape."


	8. Chapter 8

Getting me 'back into shape' was a lot harder than I first anticipated. Thanks to Tony's latest tox screen testing machine, he and Bruce were successful in finding some of the items in the serum that Shmidt injected me with.

"Wolf blood!" I nearly yell, looking at Bruce and Tony in disbelief.

"I'm afraid that's not the only thing we found in there." Tony replies, pulling up another graph on the holographic monitor.

"We also found beer blood and several types of poisonous frog and spider venom and blood." Bruce says, highlighting different parts of the graph.

"Why would he put that in the serum?" I ask, looking at the pictures of my blood tests.

"According to his journal and several of the unidentified doctor's notes, he wanted to not only recreate the super soldier serum, but add in additional abilities. For example, to spit venom." Bruce replies, handing me photocopies of journal pages and notes.

"Why would he need wolf's blood and snake venom?"

"We also found a lot of evidence of different religions and myths, one of them, the Greek myth of Hydra. We think, this serum was the final product of what Shmidt had hoped would be given to every new Hydra member to make them, literally, Hydras." Tony says, handing me pictures of different sketches for the new Hydra uniform.

"Why give the serum to me? I'd never join Shmidt or Hydra. I'd die first."

"We think it's because you were the only candidate eligible to receive the serum in the heavy douses that he gave you. We searched through his entire hideout and all the other serums only have a single toxin or venom in it. Yours had all of them." Bruce says, looking at me sadly.

"What? What else did you find?" I ask, my worry growing.

"I did a lot of tests, it's not confirmed yet, but…" Bruce begins, looking over at Tony unsure.

"But what? Spit it out!" I growl, the anticipation killing me.

"But we think you already had mutated cells before Shmidt injected you with the serum." Tony says slowly, letting his words sink in.

"What? How is that possible? I would've known about it before wouldn't I?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Not all mutations are discovered within the person's lifetime." Bruce replies, sitting down across from me.

"Are you saying I'm a freak without Shmidt's nasty poison in my blood?" I ask, looking at Tony and Bruce.

"No. We're saying you already had the gene for the _potential_ of becoming something more." Bruce says softly, looking at me with large, dark bags under his eyes.

"It's kind of like Bruce here and being the Hulk. The amount of radiation he was exposed to should've killed him, but the other guy saved him. So, we can deduce Bruce already had the Hulk genes, the radiation just brought them to the surface." Tony says, sitting down beside me on the bed. "You're not a freak. You're special. There are only a handful of people in the world with the specialized genes you have and could have survived the amount of injections Shmidt gave you."

"How do I get rid of it?" I ask, looking between the billionaire and the doctor.

"You don't, at least not yet. We're still looking into safe ways of getting the serum out of your body with the least amount of pain possible, but it's not a perfect since. For now, you just have to live with it."

"Live with it? You want me to live with Hydra's poisonous experiment running through my veins!" I nearly shout.

"Yes. It's only temporarily though. At least until we can find a safe way to remove it." Bruce says, looking me with soft eyes.

"Besides, we don't even know if the serum worked. So far you haven't shown any signs of change." Tony adds, giving me a hopeful look.

* * *

Boy was Tony wrong. The first thing I noticed was my overwhelming hunger. I went from eating three basic meals a day, to six. Not only is my diet different, but also some other things. For one, I find I can spit venom, quite a distance too, and that I also have become extremely flexible. On top of that, I am a lot stronger and more durable than I used to be. Whatever was in Shmidt's precious serum and in my genes already is beginning to show. Soon I discover that not only do I physical powers, but elemental powers as well. I'm suddenly able to make water pipes explode if I'm surprised, make the temperatures lower if I'm sad, or create hurricanes when I'm angry.

* * *

"I can't do this anymore! I don't want these powers! Take them back!" I yell at Bruce, feeling slightly guilty for the poor guy, but my anger preventing me from dwelling on it for long.

"I know you're upset, Skylar, but becoming angry only makes it worse." Bruce tries to calm me, not getting very good results.

"Of course I'm upset! That bastard injected me with snake poison and wolf blood! How the hell am I not supposed to be upset about that?" I rant on, feeling my blood boil and the temperature around lower.

"Skylar if you don't calm down you'll freeze everyone on this ship." Bruce tries to stop my growing anger. "You don't want to hurt us do you? Or Tony, or Dante, or Steve do you?"

As soon as Bruce says 'Steve', my anger dies away and the room returns to normal temperatures. Steve. I haven't spoken much to the captain in almost a week. Him being busy on a mission and me stuck in the medical bay for more tests. I feel guilty I haven't spoken to him much, our last conversation ending in almost a fight.

I had been angry at being locked in my room with no sunlight or fresh air in nearly three days and it was driving me insane. Steve, being the loving gentleman he is, of course tried to do everything in his power to make me happy with disobeying Bruce's orders of my bed rest. He had tried board games, candy, and even my favorite chick-flick _Sweet Home Alabama_, but none of it worked. I was still upset, moody, and acting like a spoiled brat. It wasn't Steve's fault I was stuck in bed, in a dirty hospital bay, onboard a flying aircraft, but damn it I really hated it.

Anyways, the almost fight ended with me yelling at poor Steve and making my room negative fifty below, almost as cold as my cold heart. It was then Steve was called on a mission and sent to God knows where for the rest of the week. Now I regret almost fighting with him and yelling at him. I was mad and my short fuse temper quickly lashed out at the closest person, which was Steve. Now, I'm waiting patiently in his room, hoping I can apologize before I lose the one person who means the world to me.

"Skylar! Get to the flight deck immediately. Steve's back." Clint says into my earpiece.

Instantly, I leap from my brooding position on Steve's not so neatly made bed and rush towards the flight deck. My new speed and stamina really kick in as I rush past groups of agents and head onto the flight deck in record timing. See the, now landed, quinjet, I rush past groups of flight workers and pilots. Pushing, shoving, and occasionally maybe freezing a worker slightly, I finally make it to the quinjet, Seeing Clint and Tony standing on the ramp proudly. I don't see Steve right away, but soon my now enhanced vision finds him walking through the crowds from a damaged fighter jet. Dirty, bruised, and bloodied slightly Steve stands tall as he walks towards the quinjet with me now standing in plain sight. My breath catches in my throat as I see Steve stare at me, completely ignoring everyone and everything around him as his eyes lock onto mine and hold my gaze.

Not caring that we're in public, or the fact that our relationship could be forbidden, I rush towards Steve, jumping into his waiting arms as he lifts me off my feet and spins me around. I hold on to his neck tightly, breathing in his unique masculine scent paired with sweat and grime. Forgetting our unsaid rule about PDA, I join my lips with his, kissing him hard and passionate. Putting all my emotions, pent up anger, and worry into the kiss as Steve holds me tight against his dirty and torn suit. Pulling away, I look into his baby blue eyes and I know we're okay. We're going to be okay, and that no matter what happens, we're always going to be okay.

"I was worried sick! Don't you dare ever leave again without saying 'goodbye'." I half growl, half cry into Steve's shoulder, knowing he can hear me over the wind, voices, and surprise whispered of our co-workers.

"Yes ma'am. I'm sorry I made you worry so much." Steve says into my hair, inhaling my smell and kissing my temple. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't have left so soon if I'd known how concerned you'd be."

"Damn right I was concerned." I snap back, my words not coming out as harsh as I wanted, but they get the point across.

Still holding me tight, Steve continues his walk towards the quinjet, my face buried in his dirty chest. I don't know how or when Steve finally got away from all the people, all I know is I was hanging on to him every step of the way, afraid to let go and he'd disappear. We walk, hand in hand, my head resting on his shoulder, through the helicarrier and towards his room. Although I am thrilled to see him, I also can smell his not so rosy scent.

"Do you have any idea how crazy you make me?" Steve asks once his room door is securely closed and locked.

"I make you crazy? How so?" I ask, kissing his neck and moving upwards towards his chin, cheeks, nose, and mouth.

"You yell at me, nearly freeze your room with me inside, and then you kiss me like _that_ and wear my shirt in front of a dozen of other agents. And you smell amazing." Steve says, clearly caught in being upset, aroused, and aggravated.

"You know you're really cute when you're mad." I whisper into his ear, biting the outer shell lightly.

"There you go again, turning me on." Steve groans, holding my waist in his strong hands as I continue to kiss and lick across his exposed skin.

"Sorry, can't help it." I say innocently, biting my lip and looking up at Steve.

"Well you've got to. I've got to take a shower and I can't do that if you're constantly doing _that_." Steve says in a shaky voice, staring at my lip caught between my teeth.

"I'll join you. I need a shower too." I say, walking away from Steve towards the bathroom.

* * *

After our shower, we lay on Steve's bed tangled in the sheets as we bask in the afterglow of our lovemaking. _Lovemaking? Ha never thought I'd have someone to make love to._ The thought is bitter, one I used to tell myself every night before I'd fall asleep. _You'll never have someone to love you, Anderson. You're not worth love. Anyone who ever loved you has left you or is dead._ Ouch. I feel the warm pricks of tears at the back of my eyes at remembering the words often yelled at me by sinister teenagers, my aunt in her jealous fury, or alone at night without a mother, father, or brothers to hold me.

"Hey what's with the sour look? I wasn't that bad was I?" Steve asks, pulling me closer.

"No. It's not you. It's- Nothing, forget about it." I say, turning on my side so my back is pressed against Steve's chest.

"That's not nothing. What is it? You can tell me, Sky." Steve says reassuringly, kissing my shoulder and moving upwards towards my neck and cheek.

"It's just- I never thought I was loveable. I mean, I know you like me, but I never imagined I'd be as happy as I am now. I always thought I didn't deserve happiness." I admit, my voice shaky and my childhood fears of being alone coming back. I can feel the temperature in the room drop.

"Skylar you're not alone. Not anymore. And if I have my way, you'll never be alone again." Steve says confidently, turning me on my back so I can look at him.

"What if something happens to you? Or to me? What if I can't control whatever this is inside of me? What if I hurt you? I'd never live with myself if I hurt you." I say, trying again to look away from the handsome solider lying beside me. Of course, he won't let me.

"Skylar, whatever happens, we'll do it together." Steve says, a confidence that I haven't seen in him exposed in his words. "I know about Dante. I know he's your grandfather and that he had funded Shmidt's research before he knew what it was. I know that he's an internationally wanted man and I know your father, Xander, is also a criminal. I know about his stint in Rikers and Attica for nearly beating several men to death and I also know about your street fighting days."

That makes me sit up and look at Steve in shock. _He knows? He knows about the street fights and racing. The crimes I committed as a child, teen, and youth because of my short fuse, uncontrollable temper, and competitiveness. He knows and he still loves me and is staying? _

"You know about my stint in juvie? And you still want to be with me?" I ask, watching as Steve leans over me and covers my small body with his large one.

"Yes. I know about the assault charge and the vandalism and arson charges too. Yes, I still love you. I don't care about your past. I care about being in your future."

Smiling teary eyed up at the hero before me, I feel my heart swell with gratitude and love at hearing the words I've always wanted to hear. "Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that." I say, hugging Steve and making him rest his full weight on me, despite his struggle not to.

"Your father also knows about us." Steve adds, making me pause.

"He does? What did he say?" I ask, leaning back to look into Steve's face.

"He said if I ever hurt you, he'd kill me. He'd hunt me down, torture me, and then kill me." Steve says, looking slightly intimidated.

Chuckling, I smile a full fledge smile, kissing Steve's lips once more. "Of course my father said that. He's a little…unhinged."

"I'd say completely insane, but I guess that's a kind way of putting it." Steve says, making me laugh again.

_God I love this man._


	9. Chapter 9

"Skylar we have it. We have a way of undoing Shmidt's serum." Tony says, announcing the news to Steve and I as we sit at the grand dining room table in Avengers Tower.

It's been several months since the Shmidt incident, and ever since my capture Steve's been extra protective. Not letting me out of sight except for absolutely necessary circumstance, Steve's been a very caring, dutiful, and loving boyfriend throughout the process of trying to reverse Shmidt's potentially lethal serum.

A couple of week ago, Bruce made a discovery that my body wasn't reacting well with serum. Despite the initial success with the injections, my body's natural defenses soon began to see it as the threat it is and started to attack it. Worried that the fight might cause some unwanted results, Bruce and Tony have been working overtime to try to discover ways and solutions of removing the serum. Finally, it seems their hard work and sleepless nights have paid off.

"Really? That's great! What do I have to do?" I ask feeling excited for finally I'll be rid of the nasty Hydra serum.

"There is a catch, however." Tony says, trying to be serious despite his words not registering with my over-joy.

"I don't care. What is it? What do I have to do and what is the catch?" I ask, not caring what happens as long as I'm free from this awful injection.

The first few weeks were okay. My body worked well with the serum. I had begun to control, slightly, some of the special abilities I had discovered from the serum: enhanced strength, speed, and stamina to name a few, but soon my body began to not like the presence of the drug. I don't know why or how, but it suddenly began attacking the cells that had accepted the serum. Bruce discovered this internally conflict when he noticed my powers acting uncontrollably and the hard training I had put in slowly begin to not matter. It was then that Bruce and Tony enlisted the help of Dante, my grandfather who's only interest in this project is my health and safety, despite his criminal and unfaithful record to any one country, organization, or person.

"You'll have to undergo an extensive surgery at the hands of Dr. Ivan Vladimir and be prepared for side effects." Bruce says, not looking happy at the mentioning of Dr. Vladimir.

"What possible side effects?" Steve asks, a threatening tone in his stoic face.

"Like side effects of the serum. We may be able to remove the serum, but that doesn't mean you'll go back to being you. The serum stimulated and activated your mutated cells remember? So now you'll have to live with the mutation and possible some of the after effects of the serum." Bruce says. "Sadly, there's no way for us to remove the serum entirely with all it's components since it's been in your system for awhile now and the purpose of the serum is permanency. To remove the entirety of it this late in its life could cause harmful, potentially fatal results to you."

"I don't care, just get it out. I don't want it!" I snap, my resolve hardening as I feel the power flowing through my veins become more prominent.

"Okay. Dr. Vladimir is waiting in the surgical room to begin the operation if you're ready. Dante and Xander are also here." Tony says, leading us to the elevator and taking us to the medical level of the tower.

Despite having been debriefed, briefed, and debriefed again about my situation and potential outcomes, I know Steve is still worried as ever. Shmidt's serum is slightly different than the serum in Steve. Not only did Shmidt add animal blood, venom, and poisons, but he also changed the base structure of the serum, making it less permanent than Steve's.

"Are you ready, Miss Anderson?" Dr. Vladimir asks, preparing my sedative.

"Yes." I say firmly, looking at Steve through the glass window.

I can see the nervous lines on his face, his rigid posture, and his tightening and relaxing jaw. I know it's unfair to put him through this, but I can't live with the serum any longer. Not only have I woken several times in the night to have our room freezing like Siberia, but I've also been unable to control my emotions. Bruce said the serum most likely messed with my hormones, causing me to PMS way worse than usual. Of course when a woman PMS it's usually chaotic, but when I PMS with the serum it was hell. I gave everyone a hard time, especially Bruce and Steve, and I constantly had cramps that caused so much pain that I had to be sedated.

I feel the needle prick my skin, my vision fading and my world becoming black.

* * *

The surgery goes well. With the help of Dr. Vladimir, Dr. Banner and Tony were able to remove the serum from my blood. It will continue to live in me until my body cells naturally dispose of it, but now it will no longer multiple or regenerate itself. I feel a lot different. I can already tell my enhanced strength, stamina, durability, and senses are weakening, the serum no longer regenerating itself to keep up its powers. In less than a week, I already feel normal again, the cramps and hormone instability have stopped, and I no longer retain any powers I once had.

Steve's been a real sport about the whole thing. At first, he was worried; thinking if the serum in me could be undone so could his. But Bruce and Tony both reassured him that since he's had his for a lot longer, his serum is permanent. As for me, I'm enjoying going back to my old self with no enhanced powers or abilities. I'm normal again, something I'm thankful for.

* * *

It is Thanksgiving, my first Thanksgiving with people to share it with. Tony's had the entire tower setup to house as many guests as we want. Tony of course is having Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy. Thor invited Jane, Darcy, and Dr. Selvig, along with his father and mother from Asgard and his warrior friends. And I've invited my brother Dustin, my grandfather Dante, and my father Xander. I doubt Dante or Xander will show since they mutually dislike each other. But I've invited them anyways. I know Dustin is looking forward to meeting Steve. He's been deployed for two years now and is anxious to come home. Even though I'll be twenty-seven in January, my brother still treats me like a kid.

"Everything's ready. This is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever." Pepper says cheerfully.

Pepper's put a lot of time into making this large Thanksgiving dinner work. Not only has she spent countless hours preparing the menu, sleeping arrangements, and activities, but she's also volunteered to cook the turkey. I give her credit; she deals with the Avengers on top of Tony and his antics.

"Thank you Miss Potts. The food looks delicious." Bruce says politely, sipping on a glass of wine as the people around us mingle amongst each other.

So far the only real incident is when Thor's Asgardian guests arrived. The Towers security system went off, making everyone think there was an attack. Of course, Tony is going to tinker with that so Thor's friends and/or family may visit without having to set off the alarms.

"Thank you Pepper. Everything looks amazing. You really out did yourself." I say, patting the strawberry blonde on the shoulder.

"Well I want this to be a special Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for." Pepper says, giving me a small hug before moving on to mingle with the rest of her guests.

"What do you think? A lot different from seventy years ago?" I ask Steve, standing beside my boyfriend and taking a sip from his whiskey.

"Yeah a little. The concepts still the same though." Steve says, kissing my lips softly, filling my senses with whiskey.

"Well look who's all grown up." A voice says behind me, making me break away from our kiss and turn towards the elevator doors.

Standing in his usual baggy cloths, baseball cap, and hoodie my brother Dustin Cage stands staring at Steve and me. I haven't exactly told him of my new relationship status. Yet.

"Dustin!" I yell, giving my drink to Steve and rushing towards my brother, who picks me up into a warm hug.

"Hey baby sis. Well you're not a baby anymore." Dustin says, looking into my face and scrutinizing over my matured features.

I haven't seen my brother since he left for basic training when I was sixteen. He's only been able to take a few vacations to come back and see me, but not enough. The last time I saw him was for my college graduation when I was twenty-one.

"That's right. I'll be twenty-seven in two months. What does your smart mouth have to say about that?" I say, unwrapping myself from Dustin's arms to stand beside an approaching Steve.

"Who's he Sky?" Dustin asks, looking at me then Steve then back at me.

"Dustin, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Steve. Steve this is Dustin, my brother." I say, introducing the two most important men in my life.

"Nice to meet you. Skylar talks very highly of you." Steve says, shaking Dustin's hand.

"She hasn't said much about you." Dustin retorts sharply.

"Dustin, be nice." I growl at my brother, giving him a pleading look.

"When were you going to tell me you started dating?" Dustin asks, looking at me seriously.

"When were you going to tell me you got back?" I snap back, narrowing my eyes.

"No. You don't get to scold me. I'm older than you so I get to scold you first." Dustin says growing irritated by my suddenly mature attitude.

"Really you're older? Huh, you're still acting like a child." I reply, rolling my eyes at my brother's usual cocky behavior.

"Ha when are you going to learn Dust that you can't pick on star?" A chuckling Xander says, entering the top floor of Avengers Tower with his sister Samantha.

"Samantha!" I cry, rushing towards my aunt and embracing her in a warm hug.

"Hey blue. How's my favorite niece doing?"

"I'm your only niece." I roll my eyes at my aunt's usual greeting.

"Exactly why I love you so much. Jack, so hello to your cousin."

"Skylar!" Jack yells, running into my legs and hugging me tight.

Jack is my aunt Samantha's first child. He's only seven years old and has his father's unnaturally blonde hair and large eyes. I was there when Samantha gave birth, her boyfriend unable to be there at the time.

"Hey Jackie! Wow, look how big you've gotten." I say, scooping the kid up into my arms and giving him a bear hug.

"Skylar is that Captain America?" Jack asks, pointing towards Steve.

Smiling, I lower the kid back to his feet and take his hand. I have to kneel to be at his level. "Yes that is Jack. Do you want to meet him?"

Nodding his head 'yes' vigorously, I take my cousin's hand and walk towards Steve, seeing the kid hide behind my legs nervously. Crouching down in front of him, Steve smiles warmly at the child.

"Hi Jack. Skylar told me a lot about you. Said you're a big Captain America fan." Steve says warmly, looking less threatening than he was a few minutes ago when Dustin and I began to fight.

Nodding his head yes, Jack continues to stare at Steve. The poor kid is almost in shock at being face to face with the living legend.

"Do you want to sit next to me at dinner? I sure would like the company." Steve says, making a toothy grin spread across Jack's face.

"Yay! Mom! Mom! Did you hear that? I'm going to sit next to Captain America!" Jack says happily, bouncing towards his mother.

I offer my hand to Steve, helping the man stand up, back to his usual towering height. "Thank you. You have no idea how excited he is. He's probably going to brag to all his kids at school when he gets home."

"Let him." Steve says, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me close.

I giggle, knowing since my kidnapping and surgery, Steve's been a lot more public about his display of affections.

"Alright everyone, dinner is served!" Tony says, leading us all to the large dinning room. Tony and Pepper had reconfigured just for Thanksgiving.

"C'mon Jack. Don't want to miss sitting next to Captain America do you?" Samantha asks her son, making Jack rush towards Steve and me.

Sitting down at the long dinning table, Steve pulls out my seat for me and waits till I'm comfortably seated before taking a seat. Jack sits next to Steve across the table from me, and Clint and Dustin take their seats on either side of me. Natasha sits next to Clint with Bruce on her other side, and Bruce sits near the end near Rhodey. Pepper has the opposite head of the table than Tony, and Happy sits near her. Thor and his party sit scattered around the table, Jane sitting on the opposite of Dustin. I notice Xander and Dante are forced to seat across from each other down near Tony's end of the table, and Samantha sits on the other side of her son, making sure he eats his vegetables.

* * *

"So Jack, what grade are you in?" Steve asks the little boy beside him, helping him with cutting his meat.

"Second grade." Jack says proudly.

I smile watching my boyfriend talk my cousin talk and laugh together. I know Steve was worried about meeting my family, since most everyone in my family has records, including Samantha and her boyfriend, Xander's best friend, Lance. Of course, Lance couldn't make it since he had a job to do, but he sent his love, girlfriend, and son to take his place.

"Sky, pass me the gravy?" Dustin asks, his voice guarded and sharp.

"Sure thing, sunshine." I say, sarcasm dripping from my tone as I hand him the glass bowl full of the dark liquid substance.

"Enough you two. No need to make a scene." Samantha hisses at us from across the table, kicking Dustin's leg.

"Yes Aunt Samantha." We say in unison, both glaring at each other from our sides.

* * *

Despite loving and absolutely adoring my brother, he did go through some rough patches. Like all horny teenage males sex, sports, and his reputation became his three priorities when he made the varsity football team. He was fifteen when he began to gain reputation on and off the field. By the time junior year came around, he was one of the big men on campus. Of course like all cocky athletes, he had to show he was an alpha and by doing so ended up hurting a lot of people, including me.

Now I know I sound like the whiny bratty sister who is the spoiled child and envious of her brother's limelight, but honestly I wasn't. I was only eleven when he began to start his 'hit and quit' routine. Now, as an eleven year old I couldn't have known in four short years my mom would be dead, my brother shipped of to Texas to California to finish basic training, and I would live with my bitchy aunt and my uncle Derrick, my mom's older brother. Anyways, when Dustin began to get more sexually active, I of course was just beginning to mature myself and just learning what all his slang terms meant. Of course I adored him still, since he only ever showed his nasty side to his high school buddies and people who ended up on the receiving end of his temper, which thankfully was never me.

I'd known Dustin all my life, but wasn't officially his sister until I was eight. My mom adopted Dustin when he was thirteen, shortly after my father went to prison. His father was an alcoholic and his mother was a bartender and a good friend of my mom's. When Dustin's mom was killed in a car accident, my mom officially became Dustin's guardian after his father displayed no interest in holding custody of the kid. The only thing Walter Cage asked was a hundred dollars to buy more booze with. My mom agreed, gave him the money and got Dustin in return.

Of course I knew better than to mess with Dustin Cage, the mouthiest, toughest, and most brutal man in South Bronx High School, but I also got away with a lot of stuff because I was his little sister. He loved me more than anything in the world, at least that's what he told me every night after he checked on me before going out to a party. He was always there for me too. When I was ten, I was getting bullied pretty badly at school. I'd often get into fights with different kids in my grade and my mom would have to talk to the principle. One day, one of the kids who bullied me often had her older cousin come and try to intimidate me. Of course being ten, a thirteen year old looks pretty scary. Especially since I wasn't very tall or big, despite having a lot of muscle. Anyways, when she did that, I of course told Dustin about it and he, being the big brother that he is, took matters into his own hand. Not only did he beat up Nicole Myers' older cousin pretty bad, but he also gave Nicole a pretty hard time too. After that no one bothered me again. And to this day, no one's ever bothered me, either because I handle it myself, or because Dustin, Dante, or Damien (Derrick's older twin by five minutes and my mom's older brother) does something.

* * *

After our Thanksgiving meal, we all begin to scatter around the tower and do our own thing. Thor shows his warrior friends from Asgard how to play Xbox, while Jane mingles with the king and queen. Tony shows Rhodey and Happy around the newly modified Avengers Towers and challenges Rhodey to a game of air hockey in the game room. Pepper, Natasha, and Samantha begin to mingle amongst each other and Steve watches and plays with Jack. Clint, Bruce, and I leave our place from the dinning room and go to the living room to relax and watch some Thanksgiving football. Dante and Xander join us shortly, both men trying to be near me, although I cower away and sit near Bruce, knowing he'll Hulk out if they try anything. Soon Dustin joins us, done with his brooding session as well as Steve and Jack.

"Skylar, Skylar can we go to Rockefeller Center?" Jack asks, rushing in and jumping on my lap.

"Whoa slow down there bucko, why do you want to go to Rockefeller Center? What's wrong with hanging out here?" I ask, looking at my cousin.

"Because, it's so cool this time of year. Plus we could go ice skating!" Jack says, tugging at my arm anxiously. "You love to ice skate."

"Hey man, I'll take you, leave Skylar alone." Dustin says, getting up and grabbing his heavier jacket.

"No! I want Skylar to come! Steve said he'd only go if Skylar came!" Jack says in a whiney voice, acting like a spoiled child.

"Jack, I'm not going to go if you whine." I say sternly, looking at my cousin with a firm stare.

"Okay, but please come! This is my first time in New York! _Please_!" Jack begs, giving me a puppy-dog look.

"Okay I'll come. Let me grab a warmer jacket though." I say, lifting the child off my lap and beginning to head toward the elevator.

"Skylar, I want you to take Luka with you." Dante says in a firm voice, mentioning his personal bodyguard.

"What? No, we'll be fine." I argue, stopping in front of the elevator.

"Please. Let your old grandfather rest easy?" Dante asks, looking at me with begging eyes.

"Don't worry Mr. D, we'll have Captain America with us. He'll protect us." Jack says confidently, motioning towards Steve.

"I have no doubt." Dustin says sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

The elevator arrives and I step in. _This is going to be a long day_.


	10. Chapter 10

I grab my heavier black knit sweater and head for the elevator once more, hitting the lobby button to wait for Steve, Jack and Dustin.

_Steve and Dustin? Together? In _New_ York City?_ Not my best plan. Not only does my brother hate my boyfriend, my boyfriend didn't seem too impressed by my brother either. Walking from the elevator around the corner towards the lobby waiting area, I sit down on one of the plush couches and take out my phone, texting the one person who can offer me advice.

**I need advice. ASAP**

**-Skylar**

**What is it this time?**

**-Claire**

**I may or may not be going to Rockefeller Center with my brother and boyfriend who may or may not hate each other.**

**-Skylar**

**Yikes! Not a good first impression?**

**-Claire**

**Let's just say Dustin was being Dustin.**

**-Skylar**

**Just be cool, but firm in your resolve to not tolerate fighting. If they disagree, pinch their ears and come home.**

**-Claire**

**Thanks. I'll TTYL, leaving now.**

**-Skylar**

I turn off my phone and stuff it in my pocket, standing at the arrival of Jack, Dustin, and Steve. I notice both Steve and Dustin have a hard look on their face and neither will acknowledge the other's presence. _Great. Why do I have to have a stubborn brother?_

"Ready to go?" Jack asks excitedly, jumping up and down as Dustin tries to zip up his fleece sweatshirt.

"Yes, if you'll hold still and put on your jacket properly." Dustin says in an annoyed voice.

Halting his jumping, Jack stands patiently as Dustin zips the remainder of his sweatshirt and places a hat over his blonde hair.

"Okay let's go!" Jack says excitedly, racing out the door with Dustin quickly following him.

"Everything okay, honey?" I ask, coming towards Steve and taking his offered arm.

"Just peachy." Steve says in a tight voice, not looking me in the eye.

"Steve what happened?" I ask, following a few paces behind Dustin and Jack so they won't hear our conversation.

"Your brother is just- really interesting." Steve says, biting his tongue for whatever he really wants to say.

"I know. He's an ass. I'm sorry you two had to meet under these circumstances. He really is a good guy once you get past his nasty, temperamental, over protectiveness." I argue looking at the back of Dustin's head as he walks slightly hunched over behind Jack.

"I'm sure he's a great guy. He seems to really care about you. It's just- I don't like his outlook on life. He seems to only want to go for a thrill ride and then when it comes down to doing work he seems uninterested." Steve says in a hard tone.

"I know. He's always been like that. Always wanting to have a good time and not do any work. He's a pirate. No work and all play." I say, leaning my head against Steve's leather-covered shoulder. "But he's a good guy. He cares about his family and friends and will do anything to protect them. Including being shipped off to the Middle East to defend his country."

Stopping short, Steve looks at me, _finally_, and stares with disbelief. "He's a soldier?"

"Yeah. A jarhead." I say, seeing Steve's face wrinkle in confusion. "He's a Marine."

His face suddenly shifting to a more sympathetic look, Steve begins to walk again, a slower pace to his stride. "I had no idea. I thought he was all talk, no action. I'm sorry I misjudged him."

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to him. He'll be happy to know you don't think too poorly of him. Don't tell him I told you, but he was a huge Captain America fan as a kid. He read all your comics and watched all your war videos." I say, whispering the last bit to him, knowing his enhanced hearing would pick it up.

"Really? I didn't realize they were so popular." Steve says, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah they were, still are. Ever since the invasion more people have been watching the old Captain America stuff. I think it brings back hope that New York will rise again, even after such tragedy." I say, motioning towards the different signs, memorials, and artwork displaying thank yous to the Avengers and mourning the loss of lives.

"Did you ever watch the videos?" Steve asks, speeding up his walk to stay near Dustin and Jack.

"Yeah, when Dustin would watch it. I never imagined I'd get to see Captain America in the flesh, or date him for that matter." I say, hugging Steve's arm tight.

"Well I'm glad you did. I don't know where I'd be without you." Steve admits, looking down sheepishly at his feet.

"You're just saying that, you'd be fine without me." I say, trying to hide my happiness at hearing his confession.

"No, really. Thank you, Skylar. You've not only been by my side since I first woke up, but you've befriended me, cared for me, and now you love me. It's more than I could ever dream of." Steve says, stopping to make me look up at him, a dead serious look on his face.

Blushing at his intense stare, I smile shyly and look downward. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. And to be honest, you've helped me more than you'll ever know too." I say looking back up and giving him a full fledge smile.

It's true, before Steve my life was a mess. Between Dustin's deployment and the unknown along with it, Dante's criminal operations, and Xander's reintroduction to my life, I had been going through a roller coaster of emotions. When the opportunity came to meet and help Captain Rogers be reintroduced to the twenty-first century, I eagerly accepted. Of course I had no idea it would morph in a friendship and now a relationship.

Smiling brightly in return, Steve's hand reaches up and cups my cheek. Leaning his head down, his lips meet mine in a passionate kiss that puts our previous kisses to shame. Having to stand on my tiptoes, I eagerly warp my arms around the super soldier's neck, pressing my chest into his.

"Ewe, gross!" Jack says, covering his eyes.

I remove my lips from Steve's, smiling at my cousin's response to seeing our kiss. I'm still trapped in the warm, strong arms of my soldier, but I don't mind. His body is warm, and my sweater feels like nothing compared to the cold day.

"Just wait a few more years, Jack. Then you won't be saying that." I say, laughing as Jack makes a gagging sound.

"Hey man what's the hold up?" Dustin asks coming up to us, noticing me wrapped in Steve's arm and Jack's disgusted face. "Oh hell no! Please tell me you two weren't just lip locking."

Giggling at my brother's clear discomfort, I bury my head in Steve's chest, loving the smell of leather mixed with his aftershave and cologne. "Sorry Jack, sorry Dust."

"Can we go before it gets too dark out?" Dustin whines, taking Jack's hand and beginning once more on our walk towards Rockefeller Center.

"Hey Dustin, can I talk to you for a minute?" Steve asks, making my Marine brother stop and stare at the super soldier.

"Sure. Star you go on ahead with Jack, we'll catch up." Dustin says, letting go of Jack's hand and walking towards Steve.

I look between Steve and Dustin, noticing Steve looking worried and Dustin looking slightly less threatening towards my boyfriend. I quickly kiss Steve's cheek before taking Jack's hand and beginning to walk towards Rockefeller Center at a faster pace. I don't hear what Steve and my brother talk about, I just hope whatever it is, Dustin can accept my relationship with Steve.

* * *

We arrive at the center a good hour or two before sunset. The crowded Thanksgiving streets are bustling as people prepare for the Black Friday sales. I buy some food from a street vendor and stand behind Jack as we watch the skaters below.

Steve and Dustin haven't caught up to us yet, so I opt to go skating while we wait. I send a quick text to Dustin telling him we're going skating, before walking down to the rink level. I rent two pairs of skates, one for me and one for Jack, and help my cousin tie his laces. I've been skating since I was a kid and am fairly good at it. My mom let me take lessons as a kid so I know some of the cool tricks you see on television. I tie up my own skates and lead Jack onto the rink, mixing in with the other skaters.

Jack isn't that good of a skater since he hasn't done it too many times. Coming from Los Angeles, my little cousin doesn't have a lot of experience with cold or snow. I show him the basics, how to stand properly without falling over, how to push yourself from one foot to the next, and how to break. Jack gets onto the concept rather quickly, but still has a balance problem. I have to skate nearby to make sure if he falls he won't hurt himself too badly.

It's fun. Honestly it is really fun to be back on the ice again. I ice skated and played hockey in high school on youth team, but I haven't been able to take the time to go skating for fun since college. I quickly remember all my own routines and I show a few of my moves to Jack. When I land from one of my jumps I hear clapping and turn towards the entrance to see Steve and Dustin applauding my performance. Skating closer towards my boyfriend and brother, I kiss Steve's warm lips and give my brother a hug.

"What kept you guys so long?" I ask, looking between the two men, who seem a lot better in each other's company now.

"Let's just say we came to an understanding." Dustin says, giving me a wink.

"I hope that means you won't be bickering between each other anymore." I say, half joking half, serious.

"Can't promise you that, Star, but I can say I will be more understanding and accepting of your relationship. Steve's a good guy." Dustin says, patting Steve on the back.

"Thank you Dust!" I say, happily hugging my brother tighter.

"C'mon guys! Are we skating or what?" Jack asks in an impatient voice, looking bored at our conversation.

"Okay, okay Jackie, we're coming." Dustin says, stepping onto the ice in his rental skates and chasing Jack around the rink.

"You need help there, soldier?" I ask, watching as Steve struggles to get onto the ice.

"Um maybe. I've never been ice skating before." Steve says sheepishly, having a hard time keeping his balance.

"C'mon I'll teach you." I say, taking his hand in mine and helping him further onto the ice.

I repeat my teachings to Steve, who learns the concept quickly and is somewhat successfully in applying it. We skate around the rink, my hand in his as he tries to keep up with my graceful movements. He's clumsy at first, but just like at dancing he soon figures out the moves and becomes a natural.

We leave the rink a while later, wanting to get back to the tower before dark. I easily untie my skates and return them without any problem. When I return, I notice Steve is having a hard time undoing his. I sigh internally, loving the way his frustrated face causes him to flex his muscles and tighten his jaw line. Unfortunately for me, Steve notices me staring and arches an eyebrow in my direction, making me blush at being caught gawking.

"I could use some help here, Sky." Steve says, motioning towards the tightening knit of his laces.

I smile, taking pity on him. I kneel down before him, taking the black laces in my small fingers and using my nails to loosen the tightened knit. I work silently, noticing Steve's observing eyes watching my movements intently. I finish one skate quickly and move on to the other. I begin the same process over, but the second skate is easier since Steve hadn't tried to mess with the knots.

"You got the skates on, but you can't get them off?" I say, noticing the knot really tight and well done, almost by a person who's skated for a long time.

"Um yeah. I was having difficulties and Dustin was already looking for you and Jack on the ice so this nice woman helped me." Steve says sheepishly, turning a bright pink.

"Oh really?" I say, my voice calm, but my temper and jealousy spiking.

I will admit I'm easily envious. I hate people messing with my family, friends, and especially my boyfriend. When I was dating Josh it was a major problem in our relationship, since he had a 'playboy status to maintain'. I'm an only girl child; I don't share _anything_, particularly _my_ boyfriend.

"Yeah she was nice, but she doesn't hold a candle to you." Steve says sincerely, putting a finger under my chin to make me look at him.

I finish with his second skate and stand quickly, feeling the sudden urge to run. Steve must sense my uneasiness, for he grabs my wrist before I can go to far. Quickly slipping on his shoes and grabbing the skates in his free hand, he leads places the skates in the return bin.

"Hey handsome, I could've helped you take off your skates. All you had to do was ask." A female says in a voice attempting to sound seducing, but mostly sounding fake.

Turning around, I send an icy glare towards the woman attempting to move in on _my_ man. She's tall, around 5'6 with blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and large boobs. She clearly cares a lot about appearances since her boobs look bogus, an obvious face-lift is apparent on her too tight appearance, and her clothes are too tight for comfort. She looks around my age, maybe a little older and she has all the appearance of a sex goddess.

"Thank you, ma'am, but I managed just fine." Steve says respectfully, trying to be polite without sounding too harsh.

"I'm Candice. Candice Williams. My father is John Williams." Candice says, batting her false eyelashes in an attempt to be seductive.

"Nice to meet you Candice. I'm Steve and this is my girlfriend Skylar." Steve says introducing me and making the blonde Barbie look at me for the first time.

Scowling when she notices me, holding hands with Steve and him obviously looking in love, Candice scrunches her face in disgust, an unattractive picture.

"You know frowning ruins your complexion." I say in an overly sweet voice, narrowing my eyes at the blonde bimbo who dares make a move on _my man_.

"Ugh whatever. What do you say you and me get out of here? I know some hot clubs nearby." Candice says, readdressing her attention to Steve.

"No thanks." Steve says, an edge in his voice as his face-hardens towards Candice.

"Aww c'mon, it'll be fun." Candice purrs, stepping a foot too close for my liking, attempting to run her fingers up Steve's chest. My temper snaps.

I quickly grab her wrist with a snake like reflex, my anger and temper past the point of control. I easily grab Candice's second wrist when she tries to slap me. The surprise on Steve's face and the scared expression on hers don't stop me from releasing her, or loosening my tightening grip.

"Listen you whore, _don't_ you ever touch or attempt to touch _my_ boyfriend." I growl in a fierce voice, my grip on her slim wrists tightening to the point where she visibly expresses pain.

"Ow let me go." Candice whines, trying to squirm in my grip.

I release her, throwing her away from me and making her fall to the floor. The frightened, confused, and angry look on her face hardens my resolve to teach the bitch a lesson. I step forward threateningly, growling deep in the back of my throat as I approach her. Understanding the message, Candice makes the smart move of leaving, quickly.

"Let's get out of here." I say in a deep voice, walking past a still shocked Steve and make my way to the exit.

* * *

Out on the busy streets, the sunlight is fading quickly and soon night will set in. Although a relatively safe city, it still isn't wise for a woman to be outside alone on a dark night. But with the crowded streets and people waiting for Black Friday, I don't fear being alone. I know how to defend myself and I'm not one to back down from a fight.

I walk quickly through the streets, hearing Steve pushing through the crowd to catch up. Yes I'm mad, yes it's unfair to take it out on Steve, but goddamn it that bitch really steamed my clams. I am forced to stop at a crosswalk, allowing Steve enough time to reach me, the serum making him reach me extra fast.

"Skylar can we please talk?" Steve asks, looking at me with worry eyes.

I know it really is unfair to put him through this kind of emotional turmoil, especially since he doesn't have a lot of dating experience. But the only thing I can think about when I picture Candice is thousands of other girls like her, girls who will flirt with a boy even if he is taken. Girls who will throw themselves at hot guys and beg for acceptance. Not only do _those_ girls disgust me, but also the fact that she _threw_ herself at _my_ boyfriend really made me want to kill her. Since my bad experience with my first boyfriend, I've been extra possessive about Steve.

Luckily _everyone_ at SHIELD acknowledges the fact that you do _not_ mess with me. I may not be the Black Widow, trained to kill since birth, but I do know how to fight and I'm an excellent marksman who will not hesitate to throw the first punch. Everyone at SHIELD knows I can be a loose cannon if I'm provoked and after my bad attitude during those days stuck in the med bay of the helicarrier, I proved just how dangerous I could be.

"Sure what do you want to talk about, honey?" I ask, my voice purposely sweet.

"Skylar you know you're the only person I love right? You're the only one I have eyes for and you're sure as hell the only person I'd ever consider dating." Steve says, a strong resolve in his voice, as he looks me square in the eyes.

Sighing, I know he's not lying. Steve would never lie to his friends, especially to me. He would lie to protect me from real danger or to keep me out of harms way, but he'd never lie about his feelings, especially when he knows my previous relationship was a disaster.

"I know. It's just- she made me so mad. I hate girls who throw themselves at men, especially taken men, and think that since they have big boobs or fancy clothes they can just bat their fake eyelashes and get away with it." I say, looking the love of my life with sincere eyes.

"I know that's why I promise you, I will _never_ hurt you." Steve says, looking absolutely serious, "I will _never_ give you up. I'm yours as long as you'll have me."

Smiling at his deep confession, I wrap my arms around his neck, bringing our lips together in a sweet kiss. "And I'm yours as long as you'll have me."


	11. Chapter 11

After Thanksgiving everything seems to go by so fast. Thor's family returns to Asgard, Jane moves into the Tower with Thor, Samantha and Jack return to Los Angeles, Dante leaves on a business trip but promises to return, and Xander returns to his old neighborhood in the Bronx with Dustin.

* * *

It's our first Christmas as a team, as a couple, and my first Christmas with a family. Dante, Dustin, and Xander have agreed to come to the tower for a Christmas Eve dinner and for a gift exchange. I'm also going to fly out to L.A. with Dustin and Xander to visit Samantha, Jack, and Lance. I smile; I've got some really great gifts for everyone this year.

I'm wrapped up in Steve's arms, enjoying a moment of quietness between us. Sadly, the moment has to end, since we both have commitments.

"I've got to go, I promised Clint I'd practice with him in the shooting range." I say, untangling myself from Steve's warm arms and walking towards the exit.

"Okay. I've got a meeting on base so I won't be home till late tonight. Don't trash my apartment until I get back." Steve says, kissing my lips and grabbing his motorcycle keys.

"No promises." I say, giving him a mischievous smile in return.

* * *

I dress in a pair of comfortable shorts and one of Steve's shirts. I pull my hair back in a braid and grab my bow and arrow Clint had specially ordered for me. I take an arrow from the full bucket and place it in the correct place. I pull the strong back and send the arrow flying towards the target, missing the bull's eye by a few inches.

"Nice try. Loosen your stance. Don't be so stiff when you shoot." Clint says, coming up behind me and adjusting my position.

"Yes, sir." I say, doing as instructed and sending another arrow flying.

The second arrow lands in the edge of the bull's eye, not in the center, but I'll take it. Clint looks quite smug. Ever since I've moved in with the Avengers, Clint and Natasha have both taken me under their wings and trained me. Natasha's taught me more hand-to-hand combat, perfected my stealth skills, and taught a few lessons of seduction 101. Clint has helped me with my shooting, which was pretty good to begin with, but he made it expert level, taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow, and is teaching me about how to hide and be able to watch everything.

"Listen up Legolas and ice princess, we're going to a party." Tony says, walking into the room.

"Why?" Clint asks, not sounding happy about the idea.

"Relax male Katniss you only have to wear a suit and tie." Tony says, ignoring Clint's major eye roll. "Princess you have to wear a dress. It's formal, so something preferably long. Pepper can help you if you need anything."

"What? Why do I have to go?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at the billionaire.

"Because you Steve's date, you're an Avenger now, and because the boss man said so." Tony says, ignoring my glare directed at him.

"When is it?" Clint asks, messing with some of his arrows to distract himself.

"Tomorrow night. So you guys have the rest of today and tomorrow to get ready." Tony says, beginning to walk towards the exit.

Looking at Clint, I see he doesn't look excited either. We both catch each other's eyes and think the same thing. _We're leaving early if it's boring_.

We end our practice session prematurely, Natasha wanting to go shopping with me for the event. I change into a pair of jeans, my boots, and grab my leather jacket as we prepare for our shopping trip.

Natasha has Happy drive Pepper and us to the mall, going straight for some fancy designer store with thousands of ball gown selections. Once inside the store we split up, Pepper looking at some of the more modest dresses, Natasha favoring the sexier styles, and I just graze the cheapest racks.

My eyes instantly land on the dark royal blue a-line dress with a black sparkly design decorating the top of the dress. The dress has pickups that gather at the left corner, but still reaches the floor. I grab the dress and head for the dressing room, hoping it'll look somewhat decent on me. When I emerge to look at myself in the mirror, I'm impressed by what I see. It flatters my curvy figure and it makes my stomach look thinner, holding in my belly. The slight sweetheart neckline compliments my average sized breasts without making them look fake. The dress reaches the floor and won't need hemming.

"Wow Skylar, you look beautiful." Pepper compliments, wearing a deep red mermaid dress.

"Thanks Pepper. You look amazing too." I gush, seeing the strawberry blonde in the form fitting dress that fits her skinny frame to a T.

"You both look great." Natasha compliments, emerging from her own dressing room in a dark purple mermaid dress with a flared skirt with pickups.

"Thanks, so do you." I reply, twirling in front of the mirror for fun.

We purchase our dresses and return to the tower an hour later. We each had to buy shoes for the evening too. When I get back, I go straight for Steve's room, realizing that I have hardly spent anytime in my own room since Thanksgiving. I unlock the door and enter the apartment, placing my shoe bag on the floor by the closet and hanging the dress in the back.

I proceed to change out of my warm clothes into longue clothes, opting for a pair of Steve's sweatpants and t-shirt since most of my clothes are still in my room. I tie my hair up in a messy bun and walk out towards the living room, turning the fireplace on and falling on the couch to watch TV.

* * *

I wake up to the feeling of being lifted from the warm couch, strong arms holding me close to a firm chest. I inhale the familiar scent of Steve's aftershave and snuggle deeper into his warm body, loving the way he carries me like I'm as light as a feather, but careful like I'm made of glass. He gentle lies me down on his bed, pulling the covers over me, and then proceeds to get ready for bed himself. I roll over to my side, trying to avoid the blinding light as Steve flips the bathroom switch on. I roll closer toward his side, loving the way his pillow smells just like his aftershave, cologne, and unique scent.

Soon Steve pulls the covers back and slides in next to me, wrapping protective arms around me, as he gets comfortable. I snuggle closer, kissing his bare chest.

"How was your meeting?" I ask, wanting to hear Steve's voice before I got to sleep.

"It was fine. Tony told you about the gala tomorrow night?" Steve replies, shifting toward his side to look at me.

"Yeah. Pepper, Natasha, and I went shopping this afternoon for dresses." I say, looking into Steve's deep blue eyes.

"You know you don't have to go if you don't want to, right? I mean, if you really don't want to go I understand. I'm not fond of parties either." Steve says, interlocking our fingers.

"It's fine. I don't mind. It'll be fun. I haven't dressed up since my senior prom. Plus it'll be good to present ourselves as a couple." I say, kissing his cheek lightly before snuggling deeper into the space I've made for myself.

"Okay. You know I wouldn't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with?"

"Steve, I know, and it's fine. Really, I don't mind. I think it might actually be fun, as long as you're by my side the _whole_ time."

"I promise." Steve says, chuckling and kissing my lips sweetly. "Night."

"Night." I reply closing my eyes and letting sleep overcome me.

* * *

It's five in the morning and I wake groggily as I hear grunts. I get up slowly and reach for the gun kept in my nightstand. Cocking the weapon, I walk cautiously towards the door, finding the hallway light on. I open the wooden door slowly, walking silently through the hall towards the gym room where the sounds are coming from. Opening the door, I am relieved to see its just Steve, going at the punching bug rather mercilessly. I put the safety on my gun and place it on the table by the door.

"Couldn't sleep?" I ask, leaning against the frame just admiring the view of Steve's ass._ I'm shameless_.

Pausing his assault on the bag, Steve turns to me, sweat pouring off his face and body. _Must've been at it for a while_.

"No. I'm sorry I woke you. I didn't think you were that light of a sleeper." Steve says, walking towards me to grab his water bottle and a towel.

"Another nightmare?" I ask, knowing about Steve's nightmares from the past. Just haunted memories of Bucky, his crash, Red Skull, and sometimes Peggy.

"It's the first in awhile. Don't worry, Sky, I'll be fine." Steve says, beginning to unwrap his hands.

I move slowly and begin to help him, making him stop and allowing me to do it. "It's not fine. Promise me you'll talk to me next time you have one. Don't take all your fury and frustration out on the poor helpless punching bags." I say, motioning towards the pile of broken punching bags.

"I promise. I'm sorry to have worried you." Steve says, watching as I finish one hand and move to the other.

"Hey don't worry about me, okay? I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." I say, a little more defensively than I wished.

"It's not that I don't think you're not capable of taking care of yourself. I know you are. You've survived and persevered through a lot of things. I just worry because I love you. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I don't like seeing the love my life upset." Steve says, honesty and sincerity flowing from his words.

I finish with his second hand and throw the tape on the table where the supplies and equipment are stored. "I know, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I love you too and I understand your concern." I say, looking up into the blue eyes of my soldier, my world, my everything.

"C'mon let's get to bed. We have a big night today." Steve says, taking my hands and leading me towards our room, turning off the lights along the way.

"You need to shower. I'm not letting you in the bed smelling like that." I say jokingly, pushing his large sweaty form towards the bathroom.

"How about you join me?" Steve whispers in my ear suggestively, pulling towards his damp chest and draping his sticky body over mine.

"Well now I'll have to."

* * *

We shower for about half an hour before we return to bed, both of us exhausted, clean, and smelling fresh. I wake shortly after we lay back down again, this time to Jarvis' alarm clock.

I finish in the bathroom before Steve and make my way towards the small kitchen. I prepare myself a glass of orange juice and begin to look through the spread out files lying on the table.

One particular file catches my eye and I shift some papers to read the paper. It's a file about previous soldiers, all of the 107th. Most of them read 'Deceased' on their files, one reading 'Missing In Action' and another not having anything written. The one with nothing written is Peggy's. Studying the file closer, I feel my curiosity rise as to why Steve has Peggy's file. I recognize Bucky's picture on his file, having researched the man after Steve told me stories of him. Studying Peggy's file intently, I read about her current whereabouts. Winchester, U.K.

"I meant to clean that up." Steve says behind me, surprising me slightly though I don't let it show.

"Why do you have Peggy's file?" I ask, turning to face him, placing a neutral expression on my face.

"Skylar it's not what you think. I just wanted to know." Steve says, watching me carefully.

"Not what I think? What do I think? I don't care that you're looking into her. You're perfectly entitled to that." I say in a calm voice, masking my growing jealousy, rage, and slight hurt. "But I do care if you try to hide it from me."

"I wasn't trying to hide it. I just didn't know how to tell you about it." Steve says quietly, looking at the file in my hand and not my face.

"Lucky you. You didn't have to tell me." I say, placing the paper down and grabbing my medical files and begin heading for the door.

"Skylar wait-"

"I need to go. Bruce wants these tests in before noon and I have my shift at the hospital." I say in a short voice, pushing past the wall of muscle blocking my path and exit the apartment.

* * *

I work with Bruce till lunch, and then I drive to the SHIELD base where I work different shifts at the hospital. Being in New York City, this is one of SHIELD's largest bases and busiest hospitals. I enter through the staff entrance, using my SHIELD I.D. card to enter the employee's only area. I put my purse and keys in my locker before reporting to the head office.

"Miss Anderson, I need you to do physical check ups and examinations for today." Says the head doctor at the hospital, Dr. Patrick Martin.

"Okay. I have to leave early today though. I have a party." I say, grabbing a clipboard with the list of names and information of the patience I'll be seeing today.

"That's fine. If you don't finish today you can come back tomorrow and finish." The young doctor says, giving me a warm smile before returning to work.

Dr. Patrick Martin is quite handsome. The man comes from Australia and has a thick accent in his deep voice. He's tall, 6'1 and has a large build. All the female nurses, PA's, and workers drool over him. I admit, if I wasn't dating Steve he'd be appealing, but since I have my soldier I don't need anyone else. But today Patrick does seem to look extra extractive.

I snap out of my internal thoughts as I enter the examination room, typing a few things on the keyboard before I go out to greet my patience.

* * *

It's nearly six o'clock by the time I finish. I've checked almost everyone on my list, only having to finish five more people tomorrow. I return to the main office, returning the clipboard and adding in some final notes to the online profiles of the patience I've seen. I quickly rush towards the employee's only room to grab my keys and purse to get back to the tower in time to change and leave. The gala starts at eight, but the Avengers don't have to arrive until nine.

I speed through the busy highway, arriving at the Tower in record time. I quickly park and exit my car, rushing towards the elevator to change.

"Cutting it kind of close aren't we Sky?" Clint asks, appearing out of nowhere already dressed in his suit.

"I had to finish some things at the hospital. I'm going, I'm going though." I say, pushing the button for my floor rather harshly.

I quickly sprint to my room, grabbing a quick shower. When I emerge from my steaming bathroom, Natasha and Pepper are sitting on my bed, both dressed beautifully.

"I know I'm running late. I'm sorry." I say, rubbing the towel in my hair to dry the ends.

"We know. That's why we're going to help you get ready." Pepper says, standing up and moving towards my bathroom to grab my make-up and hair tools.

"Thank you?" I'm unsure if that's a good or bad thing.

"Just sit down and let us beautify you." Natasha says, pushing to sit at the edge of my bed as she begins to mess with my hair.

* * *

Pepper works on my make-up and nails, leaving Natasha to do my hair. They work quickly and quietly, the only noise coming from my iHome playing my iPod. Natasha blow dries, curls, and pins my hair up into a messy bun, allowing some of my shorter hairs to hang out. Pepper does a light silver and blue smokey eye makeup that matches my dress and applies some pink lip-gloss to my full lips to finish the effect.

"Okay you're done. Go get changed." Natasha says, finishing up the last details of my hair and stepping back to admire her work.

"Dress? It's in Steve's apartment! So are my shoes!" I say, nearly bolting for the door.

"Relax Sky. Stay here and I'll go grab them. Pepper needs to finish your makeup." Natasha says, pushing back down on the bed as she leaves the room.

* * *

Natasha returns shortly after Pepper finishes my makeup, the dress in shoes in hand. The dress is still covered from the store and my shoes are in their box. I quickly take the offered dress and rush towards the bathroom, pulling the elegant dress up my body. Pepper has to zip the dress up in the back, and Natasha helps me get it straightened out. I grab my shoes, a pair of simple sliver heels with some sparkle and a small heel and follow my friends toward the elevator. I have a little clutch packed with my phone, lip-gloss, and my communicator in my ear. I have a gun, knife, and medical supplies strapped to my right thigh, hidden by my dress.

We take the elevator to the garage floor where Tony has a car waiting for us. The guys have already gone ahead with Dr. Foster who is one of the honorary guests at the gala. We enter the large black suburban, Pepper in the front and Natasha and me in the back. Happy drives quietly towards the venue.

We arrive two minutes before the Avengers are to be announced to the audience. I race inside with Natasha, lifting up my skirt so I won't trip. We rush towards the waiting Clint, who keeps looking impatiently at his watch for us.

"We're here. Don't freak out yet, Barton." I say, making the archer look up and smile at Natasha, who didn't run but merely did a fast pace walk.

"Wow Tash, you look beautiful." Clint says, locking eyes on Natasha and not bothering to look anywhere else. "You look nice too, Sky."

"Thanks?" I say, watching as the archer escorts Natasha towards the grand staircase leading to the ballroom below where the crowd waits patiently.

"The other Avengers have already been announced. You guys won't have a grand entrance." Clint says, still not looking anywhere but Natasha's smiling face.

"Not a problem." I say, fixing my heels before following the already descending couple.

_Great. You just had to fight with Steve before the event?_ I grumble to myself, realizing I'll be entering the ballroom alone. If there's one thing I hate is big crowds, especially big crowds full of rich, snobby people who's only interest in the charity gala is for the Avengers. _Suck it up Sky. You made your bed now you've got to sleep in it._ I take a big breath before making my way towards the grand staircase, fighting back butterflies.


	12. Chapter 12

I begin to descend the staircase, feeling everyone's eyes on me. I can't help but blush at the attention. I hate being the center of attention, except of course if I'm dancing to my heart's content. I'm almost halfway down the stairs when I see him. Dressed in his army suit, the dark green complementing his blonde hair and brightening his baby blue eyes. The suit fits him good, showing off his muscular chest, but not hugging too tight as to keep things to the imagination.

We lock eyes when I reach the middle of the stairs. Steve's face goes from being awed to smiling a large smile that shows of his pearly whites. Moving through the crowd, Steve waits for me at the bottom of the stairs as I descend the last steps. He holds his hand out for me as a display of affections and also a silent peace offering. I look from his offered hand to his face, searching for any signs of doubt. Seeing none but his gorgeous blue eyes shining back at mine, I accept the offered hand, placing my smaller one in his.

"You look beautiful." Steve says, still in awe by my appearance.

I blush, looking down because I can't stand to see the loving look in his eyes when I feel guilty about walking out on him. "Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself."

Smiling at my comeback, Steve escorts me through the crowd toward the rest of the Avengers. Dr. Jane Foster is there, dressed in a stunning deep red dress that matches Thor's cape, Pepper by Tony's side in her bright red dress, Natasha on Clint's arm in her stunning purple number, and Bruce with a beautiful blue eye female by his side.

"Look who decided to come to the party?" Tony says, smiling at me and handing me a glass of champagne.

"Fashionable late is what we like to call it." Pepper says, pulling Tony towards a group of wealthy businessmen.

"Skylar I'd like you to meet Elizabeth Ross." Bruce introduces me to the woman by his side.

"Nice to meet you. Please call me Betty." The woman says, shaking my hand and giving me a warm smile.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Skylar." I reply, giving the woman a smile in return.

"Skylar you look beautiful!" Jane gushes, rushing to my side and embracing me in a warm hug.

"Thanks. You look amazing too." I compliment, hugging my friend.

Jane and I have become really close since she's moved into the tower. Both she and I love looking at the stars; she for her scientific reasons and my because I've always loved seeing the glitter diamonds in the sky.

"Can I have this dance?" Steve asks, bringing my attention back towards my handsome soldier as he stands before me, looking rather nervous, and holding his hand out towards me.

"Yes you may." I say, taking his hand and allowing him to pull towards the dance floor.

For being an amateur dancer, Steve moves us graceful on the dance floor; spinning, dipping, and lifting me in time to the music.

"If I didn't know better, I would've thought you're an expert." I say, resting my head on Steve's chest at the slow song.

"Well I've done some research. I didn't want to make a complete fool of myself." Steve replies, resting his chin on my head and slowly moving us back and forth.

"I'm sorry about earlier. It was wrong of me to snap at you and walk out." I say, addressing the nagging feeling in my chest.

"It's okay. I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have tried to hide the file. I love you Skylar, more than anything in the world, but I do want closure." Steve says, holding me tighter for emphasis.

"I understand. With everything you've been through you deserve closure. It wasn't right of me to snap at you. It also isn't my place." I say, turning my head up to see Steve's face.

"It's okay. Forgive and forget?"

"Forgave and forgot."

We continue to dance. The band plays song after song and the whole time I don't leave Steve's arms. The warmth of his body pressed against mine fills me with a heat and warmth that I haven't felt in a long time. _I must be the luckiest girl on the planet_.

Too soon the band takes a break and we're forced to return to reality, the reality of being the center of attention at a charity gala hosted by SHIELD to promote extra funding. We return to the rest of the Avengers and their dates.

"Skylar?" A female voice says behind me, making me turn towards the voice.

"Kennedy?" I say, shocked to see one of my high school friends.

"Yes! Oh my gosh! I told Merida and Audrey I thought I saw you dancing, but they didn't see you, so I had to come over here and check it out for myself." Kennedy says in an excited voice, wrapping me up in a warm hug.

"Skylar!" Three more female voices say, rushing towards us and joining the hug.

"Hey Merida! Hey Audrey!" I say, feeling my lungs being crushed by the arms entangling me.

"You look absolutely beautiful! What are you doing here?" Audrey asks, looking at me with shining blue eyes.

"I'm here attending a charity gala for work. What are you doing here?" I reply, fixing my dress when my four friends give me air.

"We were booked for a gig and we're staying here at the hotel." Merida answers, her light brown curly hair still as elegant as ever.

"I told you guys she was in the city!" Claire says, giving me a smug smile. "How was your date with Captain Rogers?"

"You had a date? Details!" Kennedy screams in a pitchy, making Audrey and Merida raise curious eyebrows at me.

Kennedy Woodson, Merida Carson, and Audrey Fields along with Claire have been my best friends throughout high school. Kennedy still looks the same with her gorgeous tan skin, brown eyes, long, shiny, black hair and incredibly toned body. Merida's tall, skinny model-like body with long, curly, light brown hair and her light brown eyes on olive skin and long legs make her model-material. Audrey's pale skin, blue eyes, brown pixie cut hair and her warm smile has stayed the same throughout high school. Yes, it's good to see my best friends again.

"Claire!" I growl towards my smiling dark blonde friend, looking quite pleased at making me miserable.

"What? They wanted to know." Claire says sweetly, obviously enjoying putting me on the spot.

Smacking my forehead with my palm, I groan in frustration as the other girls tease me relentlessly. _Just like old times_.

"Is he cute?" Audrey asks.

"Is he tall? You've always loved tall guys." Kennedy adds, giving me a mischievous smile.

"Is he strong? Well he's got to be, tough too since he's dating you." Merida jokes, making me smile.

"It's not Josh is it? If I hear you're still dating that loser there's going to be a serious intervention." Audrey says, her voice becoming dark and a murderous look coming to all my friends faces, except Claire.

"No! It's not Josh. We broke up in high school remember?" I say, anger rising in me at the mentioning of my ex. "I bet you'll never guess who's my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend!" The three girls say in unison.

I nod, giving them a warm, genuine smile.

"Ahh! Our baby girl is growing up!" Audrey says, hugging me again and jumping up and down for joy.

"Enough about me. What about you guys? How are your lives going?" I say, trying to divert the subject away from me. I hate being the center of attention.

"Wayne and I got engaged." Kennedy says, showing me her ring.

"No way. Congrats!" I say, hugging my friend tightly. "When's the wedding? Going to invite us all out for the big day?"

"We're getting married in June." Kennedy replies, glowing like a true bride.

"I'm so happy for you. That's great." I reply, smiling at the familiar four faces of my best friends.

"This might be a little last minute notice, but…" Kennedy says, looking at me hopefully. "Will you be my bridesmaid?"

"I'd love to. Thank you!" I say, feeling the surge of happiness at being included.

"Hey we've got a gig in the other ballroom and we could use our last member." Merida says, motioning towards the exit.

"Tonight?" I say.

"Yeah, we're playing for my brother's frat party." Merida says, pulling me towards the door.

"But I haven't played in awhile. And I don't have the right clothes." I say, motioning towards my ball gown.

"Don't worry about it. You're beautiful. And you'll pick it back up easily. You are the most musically talented out of all of us." Claire says, helping Merida pull towards the door, ignoring my attempts to pull free.

"Seriously though, I haven't played in _years_!" I argue, trying to put my feet down, but my heels drag on the polished floor.

"Trust me, you'll be fine." Merida says, easily lifting my smaller form up and literally carrying me towards the other ballroom.

"Merida!" I growl, feeling like a doll compared to Merida's height and strength.

* * *

After five minutes of me fighting and Merida and the rest of the girls pushing, shoving, and carrying, the girls finally get me backstage in the other ballroom where the instruments and the rest of the band members are.

"Skylar! Hey! Long time no see!" Jacob says, giving me a warm hug.

"Hey Jake. Hey David, he Wayne." I say, greeting the rest of the band members.

"Hey Sky!" Wayne greets, giving me a warm hug followed by David.

"Ready?" Claire asks, handing me microphone and a guitar.

"I hate you." I say simple, accepting the microphone and putting the guitar on over my dress.

"I love you too." Claire replies, giving me a quick hug before going through the curtains onto the stage.

_Just another performance. Just like old times. You can do it._

I hear David start the song off, his guitar and the cords sounding familiar. Soon Wayne on the drums and Kennedy's piano join in. Audrey, Merida, and Claire join in to the familiar melody. I walk out on stage, placing my microphone into the stand, waiting for my part to start.

**Oh there's something 'bout a man in black,**

**Makes me want to buy a Cadillac,**

**Throw the top back,**

**And roll down to Jackson town,**

**I wanna be there on the stage with you,**

**You and I could be the next rage to,**

**Hear the crowd roar,**

**Make 'em one more,**

**I'll kick the footlights out,**

**I wanna love like Johnny & June,**

**Rings of fire burnin' with you,**

**I wanna walk the line,**

**Walk the line,**

**'Till the end of time,**

**I wanna love,**

**Love ya that much,**

**Cash it all in,**

**Give it all up,**

**When you're gone,**

**I wanna go too,**

**Like Johnny & June,**

**I wanna hold you baby right or wrong,**

**Build a world around a country song,**

**Pray a sweet prayer,**

**Follow you there,**

**Down in history,**

**I wanna love like Johnny & June,**

**Rings of fire burnin' with you,**

**I wanna walk the line,**

**Walk the line,**

**'Till the end of time,**

**I wanna love,**

**Love ya that much,**

**Cash it all in,**

**Give it all up,**

**When you're gone,**

**I wanna go too,**

**Like Johnny & June,**

**Like Johnny & June,**

**More than life itself,**

**No-one else,**

**This here is promise,**

**They don't make love like that anymore,**

**Is that too much to be askin' for,**

**I wanna love like Johnny & June,**

**Rings of fire burnin' with you,**

**I wanna walk the line,**

**Walk the line,**

**'Till the end of time,**

**I wanna love,**

**Love ya that much,**

**Cash it all in,**

**Give it all up,**

**When you're gone,**

**I wanna go too,**

**Like Johnny & June,**

**Like Johnny & June,**

**And when we're gone,**

**There'll be no tears to cry,**

**Only memories of our lives,**

**They'll remember, remember,**

**A love like that.**

I sing with all my might, remembering the words to the old song. It's been a long time since I've sang in front of a crowd, a crowd of rowdy college kids, but I sing anyways. When I finish, I see the shocked faces of my friends and the awed, but smiling face of Steve. I hadn't seen them enter the room and now I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks at being caught at singing my heart out. Not even Steve knew I could sing.

"I told you, you could do it." Claire whispers in my ear, noticing my locked gaze with my hunky soldier. "Apparently he thinks you're amazing too."

"How long have you noticed him there?" I ask, making sure to keep my mouth away from the microphone.

"Since the song started. He watched you so intently, I thought he was going to burn a hole through out." Claire jokes, nudging my arm softly.

_Oh boy. I'm going to get it._


	13. Chapter 13

I sing with the band for a few more songs, singing mostly covers of popular pop or country songs. When I finish I feel exhausted, but accomplished at completing the performance. I thank Claire and the rest of the band for allowing me to come back one last time and sing with them before leaving the stage and pushing my way through the crowd towards the waiting Avengers and Steve.

"Wow Sky. Didn't know you had _that_ in you." Tony says, the first to break the silence that falls over the surprised heroes.

"Thanks?" I reply, unsure if there's a compliment or a punch line in the billionaire's words.

"You were amazing Skylar. I had no idea you could sing like that." Bruce says, giving me a reassuring smile.

"Thanks. Can we get outta here?" I say, feeling uncomfortable with six pairs of eyes on me.

"Sure. I'm tired too." Natasha says, giving me a small smile and looping arms with me.

The two of us walk out of the grand hotel and towards the waiting car. Happy greets us warmly, opening the door for us as we slide in, Jane and Pepper right behind us. I don't know where the guys are; they didn't follow us girls out of the building so I assume they're staying for the remaining part of the gala.

* * *

We arrive back at the tower a quarter till midnight, the four of us exhausted from the party. We quickly remove our heels once inside the safety of Avengers Tower and walk barefoot to the elevator.

"I have some champagne and no boyfriend, care for a drink ladies?" Pepper asks, hitting the button for the top floor.

"Sure. That sounds refreshing." Jane says, smiling at the CEO of Stark Industries.

"Count me in." I say, happy to have a quiet night with the girls.

"Will there be vodka?" Natasha asks, looking at Pepper curiously.

"I have a full bottle of Grey Goose with your name on it." Pepper replies, making a small ripple of laughter emit from our voices.

The elevator doors open at the top floor and we step out. Reaching for the pins in my hair, I let my dark brunette locks fall freely down my back; the somewhat lengthy hair reaches the middle of my breasts.

"I'm going to change out of this dress." I say, heading back to the elevator and pressing my Steve's floor.

"Me too." Jane says, jumping in the elevator hitting Thor's floor.

We ride down the elevator in silence I exit first. I enter Steve's apartment and toss my shoes near the door, not caring where they land. I walk towards the bedroom, unzipping the floor length gown on the way. By the time I reach the closest I've removed the dress and accessorizes and begin to rummage through the closet. I find my favorite sweatshirt of Steve's, a plain dark blue zip up. I opt to wear just the sweatshirt since it's big and reaches my mid thighs.

* * *

I return to the top floor to find Jane dressed simply in one of Thor's plaid button ups, Pepper in one of Tony's dress shirts, and Natasha wearing Clint's red t-shirt. I see a glass of champagne waiting for me, which I gladly take. I sit down beside Jane on the couch, Pepper on the single chair and Natasha on the love seat. We're all quiet, just enjoying the pleasant silence and each other's company.

"Would you guys want to do something sometime?" Pepper asks, breaking the silence between us.

"Like what?" Natasha asks sounding interested.

"How about we fly to the Bahamas next week? I have some much needed vacation time and I think it'd be fun to do something, just us girls." Pepper explains.

"I'd love to. How long would we stay?" Jane asks, perking up at the mentioning of the Caribbean paradise.

"Maybe spend a few days in the Bahamas then go to St. Lucia?" Pepper says, taking another sip from her champagne.

"That sounds amazing. I'm down." I say, excitement beginning to grow as I imagine tropical island paradise.

Although I love winter, snow, and anything cold, a vacation to the Caribbean does sound really nice in this very bleak December.

"We can leave Friday. I'll have the jet ready to go after work. We can come back next Sunday." Pepper says, pulling out her phone and making the arrangements.

"I'll need to go shopping for swimsuits and clothes. I haven't been to the beach in a long time." Jane says, making a note in her phone.

"I'll go with you. I don't have any swimsuits or beachy clothes either." I say, making Jane smile.

We then begin to talk about the trip. The cost, the hotel arrangements, and the activities we want to do. We all agree spa, snorkeling, and shopping are the top there things on our lists, the rest we can figure out when we get there. Once we finish the planning part, we fall into a pleasant silence. We begin to change our champagne for coffee and/or tea. Pepper and Natasha make themselves a cup of coffee and Jane and I make some tea. We continue to sit around drinking our warm drinks, watching the lights of Manhattan outside the glass window, and make small talk.

* * *

It's around 1 o'clock in the morning when Jarvis alerts us the boys are back. Not long after the elevator dings and Steve, Clint, Thor, and Tony step through its doors, Bruce must've gone to bed. The four men look at us, noticing us all sitting quietly on the comfy furniture, sipping our drinks, and wearing our significant others clothes. I can tell Steve's turned on by me wearing his hoodie, the pupils in the captain's eyes dilating and his jaw falling slack. If there's one thing I've learned about Steve in the short span we've been dating: he's majorly turned on when I wear his clothes. The other Avengers are also stunned to see their lovers wearing only their clothes, Clint's eyes particularly popping out of his skull at seeing Natasha in his shirt.

"May we help you?" I ask, my voice coming out huskier than usual.

"I- uh- we- um..." Steve stammers, obviously at a loss of words.

"What's the matter? Cat's got your tongue?" I say, giving Steve a small smirk before taking another sip of my tea, finishing the warm beverage.

"I'm tired I'm going to turn in. Goodnight everyone." Jane says, rising and walking past Thor, grabbing the thunder god's tie as she walks by and pulls him into the elevator.

"I'm exhausted too." I say, getting up and placing my mug in the sink. I can feel Steve's eyes on me the entire time. I smirk, knowing I have him exactly where I want him. "It's rude to stare you know."

"Um- uh- sorry." Steve mumbles out, not looking away, but a flush creeping up his cheeks.

"Don't be. I'm going to bed. You coming or what captain?" I say, grabbing Steve's tie and begin to lightly pull him towards the elevator, pressing the down button and stepping inside the waiting car.

When the doors close Steve's lips crash into mine. I'm surprised by his ferocity, but nonetheless return his advancement with eagerness. Steve's strong arms go around my waist to cup my ass and lift me up, allowing me to wrap my legs around his waist. The bell dings announcing we're at Steve's floor. It doesn't break out kiss, if anything it makes Steve kiss me rougher and more urgently as he walks through the doors and attempts to mess with the lock on his apartment door.

Steve manages to unlock the door, while balancing me in his arms, as my lips stay glued to his. He walks inside, still carrying me, and slams the door shut with his foot, pressing me up against it. Steve begins to slowly trail is soft lips down my throat towards the top zipper of the sweatshirt, slowly unzipping the cotton jacket. Doing my part, I pull my arms out of the sleeves and throw the sweatshirt to the ground. The shell-shocked look on Steve's face at the sight of my lingerie is priceless. Not only does he look rather surprised, but even more turned on then before, a foreign animal-look coming to his blue eyes.

"Where did you get that?" Steve asks, setting me down to inspect my full outfit, or lack of one.

The lingerie set I'm wearing is a lacy, mostly see-through, bra that is a bright blue, matching Steve's suit color. The panties are lacy in the thong style, barely covering the area between my thighs and leaving very little to the imagination. Natasha convinced me to get a set to try when we went dressing shopping yesterday, I had no idea Steve would react the way he has.

"I bought it yesterday when I went shopping. Do you like it?" I ask, turning in a circle to give him a 360 view of the outfit.

"Yeah it looks- you look- wow." Steve stumbles on his words, watching my body as it spins slowly in front of him.

Despite enjoying his lusty look, I'm way too turned on for my own good, and reach behind Steve to drag his mouth to mine in another heated kiss. When we pull away I can see the love radiating in his eyes, sending chills to the pits of my stomach.

"Let's go to bed." I whisper in his ear, feeling his body tense as his hands rest on my hips.

No sooner do I speak those words, then Steve lifts my body up once more, allowing me to wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me to bed, me kissing down his neck, undoing his tie, and working on the buttons of his shirt. _No sleep tonight_.

* * *

The next morning I find myself alone in bed when I wake up. There's no noise coming from the bathroom or kitchen, so I assume Steve's on his morning run. _Damn it must be early if he's on his run_. I grab Steve's green dress shirt from last night and pull it on, buttoning a few buttons and walk out the room towards the kitchen.

I find my phone in my clutch from the night before and go through my email and texts. Once through with that, I lay my iPhone back down and sit down at the table, going through my work files that I have laid out. Underneath the mountain of paperwork, blood tests, and fitness records, I see a sketchbook peaking out underneath the paper. My curiosity getting the better of me, again, I pull the sketchbook out from underneath the papers and flip through the pages.

There are mostly sketches of New York, Brooklyn, and the harbor. There's a few of pictures tucked into the pages as well. One is of a young Steve and young Bucky, another is of Steve's unit, and the last one is a single photo of Steve when he was at training camp before the change. He's thin, small, and he looks sickly pale. He's wearing a white shirt, his blonde hair is messy, and a pair of dog tags hangs around his neck. I study the picture; a serious look is on Steve's face and I can see a slight shin on his skin from sweat. The picture is in color, a rarity since it was taken in the 1940's.

"You were handsome even back then." I say, sensing his presence behind me.

"I was sick and weak." Steve replies, his deep voice sounding breathless.

"You had a heart of gold though. That counts for more than all the muscle in the world combined." I retort.

I can tell he was surprised to see me looking at his sketches, even more surprised to see the picture in my hand. I can't tell if he's mad, but I'm betting he's not, just surprised and maybe slightly taken back?

"That's what Dr. Erskine said." Steve says in a somewhat bitter voice, coming over behind me.

"He was right." I say softly, noticing Steve's body tense. "He was a good man. His death wasn't your fault."

"I should've been able to save him. That's what he designed the serum for. I couldn't save him and I failed to protect you." Steve shouts in an angry voice, slamming his fist on the table.

"Steve you can't blame yourself for what happened with Red Skull. Sure he gave me some freak experiment, but I'm okay. And Dr. Erskine wouldn't be happy to know you're beating yourself up over his death." I argue, standing up and facing Steve head on unwavering even though he's is losing his cool.

"I should've been able to protect you. You should have never been involved with Shmidt. It's my fault you were injected with his serum." Steve says in a calmer voice, a sad note in his voice.

"Steve I'm okay. I told you, I'm a big girl, and I can take care of myself. Shmidt may have injected me with his serum, but he also gave me a gift, remember? If it wasn't for him I may or may not have ever known about my mutation." I speak softly, cupping his face in my hands, making him look at me.

"But he hurt you. What good is it to be at the peak of human perfection if I can't keep the one person I love safe?" Steve says, looking down at me dejectedly.

"I can protect myself, you know. Don't worry about me. I'm okay. I'm better than I've ever been." I say in a confident voice.

"I still don't forgive myself."

"If you can't forgive yourself, let me forgive you. I don't hold anything that happened against you. Shmidt would have still kidnapped me even if I didn't know you."

"I know. But still, I should've been there to protect you." Steve says, still not looking convinced.

I drop my hands from his face, placing the picture back in the sketchbook when a particular sketch catches my eye. It's of me and I'm wearing the white dress from our first date. My hair is in soft waves and my eyes are closed, my face looking down. There's a light blush drawn on my cheeks.

"When did you draw this?" I ask, holding the picture up to Steve, forgetting about our other conversation.

"Um- uh- the day after our date. You looked really pretty so I decided to sketch you so I would never forget." Steve says sheepishly, whatever anger in him before no turning to embarrassment.

"It's really good. Did you draw it from memory?" I ask, looking at the heavy detail on my face and hair, noticing he even got my dimples right.

"Um yeah, most of it. I had to check the security feed to make sure I had everything right though." Steve admits, beginning to look uncomfortable.

"Were you ever going to show me your drawings?" I ask, placing the sketchbook down and entangling Steve's large fingers in my smaller ones.

"Yeah, someday. I haven't shown anyone my sketches before." Steve admits, looking down at me with a boyish look to his masculine and manly face.

"Was I not supposed to see them?" I ask, feeling guilty that once more I snooped into his life on accident.

"No." Steve says, looking at me with serious eyes. "But I'm glad you did."

I smile, watching as a small smile emerges on my soldier's face. I kiss his lips softly, allowing him to deepen the kiss at his own pace. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer.

"I need to shower. Fury wants Clint, Tony, Thor, and I to check in on the helicarrier. He has an assignment for us." Steve says, kissing me one last time on the forehead before making his way toward the bathroom.

"Okay. I'll make some breakfast." I say, walking behind the counter to begin breakfast.

* * *

I make eggs, bacon, toast, and some coffee for Steve and some tea for myself. While I'm working, I turn on the radio Steve has sitting on the counter, turning it to my favorite station. I begin to hum as I cook, swaying my hips back and forth to the familiar song.

"Watchin' that blonde hair sway, to every song I sang. You were California beautiful, I was playin' everything but cool. And I can still hear the sound of every wave crashin' down. Like the tears we cried that day we had to leave it was everything we wanted it to be. The summer of 19 you and me." I sing softly along Dan + Shay, keeping perfect timing with the slow country melody.

"You have a beautiful voice." Steve says behind me, making me jump and burn my hand on the egg pan.

"Shit." I growl, turning off the stove and rushing my hand to the sink, running the cold tap water over it.

"Are you alright? Let me see." Steve says, rushing towards my side to see the burn. Examining my hand, Steve checks every inch of the burn mark, making sure to keep it under the freezing water to make sure it cools off. "You'll be okay. It doesn't look permanent."

"Goody I get to go to work with a burned hand." I say, wincing when Steve lightly touches the injury.

"Here I'll kiss it make it all better, okay?" Steve says, raising my hand to his lips and kissing the stinging skin. "Better?"

"Yeah a little." I say, walking closer and kissing Steve's cheek lovingly. "Your breakfast is ready. I'm going to put a band aid over this."

"Thanks Sky. Sorry about the hand." Steve says sitting down at the table to eat the meal I've prepared for him.

I go to the bathroom and grab the first aid kit, taking out a band-aid and return to the kitchen. I lift the band-aid in my hand, showing it to Steve.

"I need some help." I say, standing in front of the soldier and offering him the band-aid.

Putting down his fork, Steve takes the band-aid from my hand, opening the packaging and aligning it with my injury. Gently removing the paper protecting the stickiness, Steve places the band-aid over my burn, gentle smoothing out the corners. Steve then gentle raises my hand to his lips and kisses the knuckle, the band-aid, and my palm before looking back up at me.

"I am sorry, Skylar." Steve says, looking into my eyes.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. I've got to go, I'm due at the hospital in an hour." I say, kissing Steve's lips warmly before leaving to change.


	14. Chapter 14

The rest of the week goes by rather quickly. I finish the fitness exams at the hospital and now I am assigned to be Dr. Martin's assistant. I told him of my leave on Friday and my vacation time of around ten days, which he allowed me to take and wrote in a substitute for my time away. I also go shopping with Jane before Friday, going to the mall and purchasing some swimsuits, sundresses, and sandals for the trip. I also pick up another set of lingerie to surprise Steve.

Speaking of Steve, he, Clint, Thor, and Tony are all being assigned a high priority case. Apparently some Colombian drug cartels were able to get their hands on some materials that could be used for something less than friendly, and Fury wants them to infiltrate their house and take back the materials. They're leaving at the end of the week.

* * *

"Skylar do you have everything?" Pepper asks, opening her purse to find her phone and triple check her list.

"Yeah I'm ready to go." I say, closing my suitcase and zipping it up.

I follow Pepper to the elevator and out the front door towards the waiting car where Happy loads my suitcase in the back along with Pepper, Jane, and Natasha's. We then proceed inside the car where Happy drives us to the airport where Pepper's private jet is waiting to take us to paradise.

"I book the spa, a snorkeling tour, and some of the nicest restaurants on the island. I've also made plans to fly to St. Lucia on Tuesday." Pepper says.

"That's great. I'm so ready for a vacation." Jane says, reading through some last minute work files.

We arrive at the airport in no time. Happy drives us onto the runway where our Stark Industries private jet is waiting for us. Happy unloads the suitcases and hands them to the workers who load them in the plan's cargo area. I step out of the SUV, preparing to board the plan that will take me to paradise.

"Skylar!" Steve yells behind me, making me turn around to see Steve leaning against his Harley.

"Steve?" I reply, rushing towards my boyfriend.

"Were you just going to leave without saying goodbye?" Steve asks, sounding a little hurt.

"Of course not. It's just- I'm not good at saying 'goodbye'. Never have been." I say, looking down and avoiding his eyes.

We both know the mission he's about to undertake is a dangerous one. Not only are Colombian cartels ruthless, they're also known to be extra violent. It's not getting inside the cartels that a problem, it's getting out.

"This isn't 'goodbye' forever." Steve says, putting his hand under my chin making me look into his eyes. "This is just until we see each other again."

I smile, knowing he's trying to make me feel better. Although he is my boyfriend, Steve is also my closest friend, aside from Claire. I've revealed many of my secrets to him and he's done the same. He knows about my fear of goodbyes, how I never got to say goodbye to my mom, how I never got to say goodbye to my dad, how Dustin's goodbye stung more than I could bear. Steve knows all my faults, weaknesses, and insecurities, yet he hasn't once used it against me. It's weird to have someone who loves you and isn't looking for anything in return except love.

"I'll see you in ten days." Steve says, kissing my lips softly and beginning to walk me towards the plan.

"Be safe. And don't you dare get hurt." I say, looking dead serious.

"Yes ma'am." Steve replies, giving me a salute and a smile. "I love you."

"I love you more." I retort, giving him a passionate kiss and a hug before beginning to walk up the steps of the plane.

"I love you most." Steve yells back when I'm at the top, giving me a wave.

I blow him a kiss, which he catches and puts in his pocket, before I walk inside the plane, sitting near the window to watch him.

The pilot boards the airplane and begins preparations for takeoff. I watch Steve walk back to his motorcycle, leaning against its metal frame watching the plane intently. As the plane moves onto the flight ramp, I can still see Steve's small figure in the distance, watching the plane. When the engines begin to roar and the plane picks up speed, I continue to keep my eyes locked on Steve's form. We lift into the air and soon I can no longer see his blonde hair or familiar brown leather jacket. I close my eyes, leaning back in the seat.

We all sleep on the plane, all exhausted from the busy workweek. When we touchdown on the island, it's night and there's a car waiting for us to take us to our residence. We all quietly exit the plane and enter the car, too tired to make conversation.

* * *

We arrive at Tony's private beachside home a little before ten when we arrive at the mansion. Pepper had the servants have dinner waiting for us, so we eat our meal quietly before retiring to our rooms. My room faces the ocean and it also has a balcony. It's relatively large, and has its own mini fridge. The bathroom is huge, with a Jacuzzi tub. The bed is a king size bed made of the softest material I've ever slept on. My suitcase and stuff are already waiting for me when I get to my room. I change into one of Steve's shirts and open the balcony door, letting the warm breeze of the Caribbean fill my room. The night air is refreshingly warm compared to the chilly air of New York, so I leave the door open all night as I crawl under the covers and fall into a deep sleep, dreaming of Steve.

The next morning, I get up late and go downstairs for breakfast, noticing the rest of the girls are awake and sipping on coffee.

"Morning sleeping beauty, about time you joined us." Pepper teases, giving me a mug of warm mint tea.

"Thanks. Sorry I was so exhausted, that bed is seriously comfortable." I say, accepting the mug and taking a long sip.

"I know. Wherever Stark gets his mattresses I want one." Natasha agrees, buttering her toast.

"What's on the agenda today Pep?" Jane asks, looking at our hostess.

"I was thinking spa day; manicures, pedicures, facials, and the works." Pepper says, the rest of us nodding our heads in agreement.

We eat quickly before driving over to the luxury spa that Pepper booked. We spend the remainder of the day getting our nails done, facials, and massages. I also get a wax job and get my hair cut and styled. By the time we're done, we're all feeling refreshed and looking extra glamorous. We decide to spend the rest of the day shopping. We tour the local shops and also visit the upscale boutiques as well. I buy Steve a bunch of little gifts and also purchase some lovely jewelry pieces for myself. I also buy Dustin, Xander, Lance, Samantha, Claire, and Jack some things.

We return to our rooms refreshed and with tons of purchases. Pepper has the chiefs prepare us an island style meal and we eat on the deck facing the ocean.

"This place is amazing. I don't think I'll ever go back." Jane says, digging into her lobster hungrily.

"I agree. This is paradise." I say, eating my own fish food and watching the sunset.

"Well if you think today was amazing, just wait until we go out partying tomorrow night." Natasha says, sipping her bottle of vodka.

We all laugh and talk about different stuff. It's nice to have a group of girls that I feel close to; even if one's a world-class assassin, astrophysicists, and a CEO of one of the biggest technological companies in the world. I smile, laugh, and chat right along with them enjoying our female bonding time.

When dinner is over we all change into swimsuits and swim in the hot tub that the mansion has, drinking margaritas and vodka. We stay in the hot tub for a good hour or so, letting the warm water soak our skin. We turn in for the night early, each of us pleasantly tired from today's events.

* * *

I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my communicator going off. Groggily, I pick up the small device, sticking it in my ear and turning it on.

"Agent Anderson speaking." I say, turning on the nightstand lamp and checking the clock. _3:19_

"Skylar where are you?" The worried voice of Nick Fury says in my ear, making me alert.

"St. Lucia sir. What's the problem?" I ask, a serious professional tone in my voice.

"It's Captain Rogers, Agent Barton, Thor, and Stark. They've gone missing from S.H.I.E.L.D.S. radar. We need you, Agent Anderson, and Dr. Banner to report immediately to the helicarrier." Fury says in a gruff voice.

"Yes sir. I will wake Natasha now." I say, getting out of bed and racing towards Natasha's room.

Barging through the door, I turn on the light and rush to Natasha's side, the light sleeper assassin instantly alert at my sudden appearance.

"Nat we've got to go." I say, throwing her a 'don't ask' look before rushing back to my room to change.

We both quickly dress and prepare to go, waking Pepper and Jane too. We all quickly pack our things and wait outside for S.H.I.E.L.D. A S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter lands outside on the backyard, Agent Hill inside looking authoritative and distant as ever. We all quickly hop in as the pilot lifts the aircraft back into the sky and towards the flying helicarrier flying rather low in the sky.

We land on the flight deck and are rushed inside. We are brought to a large meeting room where Fury waits in front of some computer monitors, each with a picture of Steve, Clint, Tony, and Thor. I can feel the helicarrier begin to climb high in the sky, going to God knows where.

"What's with the 3 a.m. wake-up call Fury?" Natasha asks, sounding more than just a little ticked.

"It's about Barton, Rogers, Stark, and Thor." Fury says silencing whatever Natasha is about to say next. "Sit down ladies, this is going to be a long night."

We each take a seat at the empty conference table. I can tell we're all worried, Fury's tone and attitude not helping to relieve my anxieties much.

"What's the matter Director?" I ask, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears.

"Four of the Avengers have gone missing." Fury says turning to face us with a sad look on his face. "They were last located just a few miles outside of the cartel's known hideout when their signal was cut off. We haven't been able to reconnect contact since yesterday evening."

"What!?" We all shout, worry, anger, and surprised in our voices.

"As of right now finding them is the number one priority. I'm going to send you Agent Romanoff and Anderson into Colombia as a search and rescue team. Dr. Banner will be going with you as back-up." Fury says, throwing a file in front of Natasha and me. "Dr. Foster and Miss Potts, you are both welcomed to stay on the helicarrier until we are able to confirm Stark and Thor's status. If the cartels did take them, we want to make sure you both are safe."

"When do we leave?" I ask, drawing Fury's attention away from the two worried-sick women.

"As soon as possible. Stark left a gift for you Anderson. It's waiting in Bruce's lab." Fury says, giving me silent permission to leave.

I jump from my seat and rush towards Bruce's lab, ignoring the curious looks of fellow agents who watch me sprint through the hallways of the helicarrier. I reach Bruce's lab quickly, entering the pass code and stepping inside the work area.

"Fury said Stark left something for me." I say, looking at the tired doctor who's examining something in great concentration.

"_We_ have something for you." Bruce corrects, finishing with whatever he was doing and going on to press a few buttons. "Stark and I have been testing your blood since the surgery to remove Shmidt's serum. Tony came up with the idea of giving you your own suit so as to better prepare you for combat. Since the San Fran incident and the Hydra kidnapping Fury's agreed it's probably a good idea if you have better weapons to defend yourself with."

Walking over to a large container, Bruce opens the case revealing a dark blue almost black cat suit. It's skintight with a silver belt buckle in the shape of a V with two circles on the top of each side. There are also several gun holsters as well as a utility belt that houses many compartments and storage space. There's a pair of fingerless leather gloves and two silver bracelets.

"The bracelets are made of the same material as Cap's shield. There's also a handy new feature Tony added just for you." Bruce begins to explain. "There's two specially designed pistols just for you. They only work with your DNA. There's also these fun little toys." Bruce holds up a small knife that has a curved thin blade. "These are 'Cobra Fangs' they are specialized knives that are extremely sharp and durable despite their lightness and small size. They can also inject snake venom if you hit the button on the handle."

"Thank you. This is amazing. You shouldn't have gone through so much work." I say, picking up the belt and looking at the buckle. "What's with the fancy V?"

"It was Tony's idea. He's dubbed you the 'King Cobra' since the serum injected into you had some Cobra venom in it." Bruce says, filling the suit up with more gadgets and weapons. "Also because although you don't look dangerous, you are quite fierce."

I blush at the compliment, turning my attention towards the other gadgets. Tony and Bruce really put a lot of time into designing, making, and organizing the suit. They've thought of everything, down to the shoes-knee high leather boots with hidden compartments and pockets.

"Ready to go?" Natasha asks, stepping into the room and looking at me.

"Yeah. Let me get changed." I say, grabbing the suit and walking into the bathroom.

I remove my clothes, leaving my sports bra and compression shorts and change into the suit. It sticks to me like a second skin, the fabric is a mix of unknown material, but it's warm and it fights my curvy form. When I reemerge, Bruce comes towards me to examine the fitting, double-checking everything's in place before handing me the belt, holsters, and accessorizes that go with it.

"We haven't tested the suit yet." Bruce says, sounding a little nervous, but continuing to add the weapons to it.

"Nothing like testing in the field." I say, allowing Bruce to complete the suit with all its weapons.

Bruce finishes getting me ready then we're off. I pilot a quinjet off the helicarrier towards the cartel camp located in a desolate part of Colombia.

* * *

I land the quinjet silently in the forest, a few miles from the Cartel's camp and the guy's last known location. Bruce, Natasha, and I begin to make our way on foot, using the cover of night to our advantage.

It's strange, although it's extremely dark out, the moon covered by clouds, I can still see the area around me pretty well. I can feel something flow through my veins, allowing my body to move stealthily and quickly even without Clint and Natasha's training. There's a predator in me and I can feel it awaken as we make our way closer to the Cartel base.

The first signs that we're close are the dirt around us changes; there are more footprints and obvious signs of a struggle. I find something glistening in the little light from the moon the clouds allow. I follow it and uncover Steve's shield. There's dirt and blood covering it and some obvious wear marks, but other than that it's intact. Natasha finds Clint's bow and quiver, a few arrows left in it.

"They must've been surprised. Clint would never have removed his arrows unless they were resting." Natasha says, anger laced in her voice.

"They were taken this way. There's a fence over there." I say, pointing towards a barbed wire fence that marks the beginning of a camp, obvious guard towers and a few buildings outlined faintly in the dark night.

"What is that? A military base?" Bruce asks, looking closer at the area.

"It must be where they grow coke. That explains the fence and the secrecy." I reply, crouching low to the ground and walking closer, still hidden by the night.

"How do you get in?" Natasha asks, taking out a pair of night binoculars.

"There's less guards at night. Fear keeps the workers from rebelling. Best way to get in is probably through the back entrance where the workers would come in from work. That's probably on the other side of the camp." I say.

"How do you know that?" Bruce asks, curiosity getting the better of him.

"I come from a mafia family. You don't think we trade with cartels?" I say, making both Bruce and Natasha raise their eyebrows.

"I say we to climb the fence on the least guarded side. Then try to find where they are keeping the guys." Natasha whispers.

"I agree. Most of the guards are probably sleeping; since they believe they're untouchable they won't have a lot of security at night. They're most likely holding them in that shack." I say, pointing towards a rundown looking shack.

"Why in there?" Bruce asks.

"Because cartels usually don't keep their prisoners for very long."


	15. Chapter 15

It's easy to enter the base; Natasha and I climb the fence on the furthest side away from the people. Bruce stays on the outside, waiting for our signal to Hulk out and smash. I easily navigate through the living areas to find where the prisoners would be kept. It's a small shack on the outskirts of the compound, not a guard in view. Natasha and I creep up to the door, looking for a way to see inside the building. There are no windows, vents, or openings toward the inside of the building except for the door. Not wanting to waste another moment, I kick the door in, my gun locked and loaded.

I see a sleeping man sitting in a chair in the corner; he must be a deep sleeper since the noise didn't wake him. I quickly walk over and hit him in the head with my gun, ensuring he won't be waking anytime soon. I then walk towards the back of the room. Steve is hanging from a tall pole, his wrists chained to the top and his feet dangling a fee feet off the floor. Tony is still in his Iron Man suit, some significant damage done to the exterior. Clint is also hanging from a tall pole, the archer's body bloody and bruised from an obvious torture session. Thor's large body is tied with chains and a gag around his neck to a tall iron wall support. All four men are sleeping, or unconscious, but they're breathing. I instantly rush towards Steve's side, his position making me have to stand on my tiptoes.

"Steve? Steve? Steve!" I whisper, gentle placing my hand on his cheek.

There's dried blood on his forehead, some cuts on his face and lip, and some bruises marking his body. The serum is the only thing keeping him alive; a regular human probably wouldn't have been able to survive the torture rounds Steve probably went through.

It takes a few moments, but Steve's eyelids begin to flutter awake with the sound of my voice. He looks tired and beaten, but he's alive and that's all I care about. I quickly take out my Cobra Fangs and slice the chains keeping him suspended in the air. He falls to the ground with a thud and a groan, but other than that makes no noise. I quickly kneel by his side, rolling him on his back to stare down on his face.

"Steve, honey, please come back to me." I gentle whisper, placing his arms around my body and hoisting him up.

He's heavy and his seven inches on me makes it hard for me to walk with him draped over my body, but I manage to get him out of the way and sitting against the wall, moving on to free Thor.

"Thor?" I ask, gentle poking the god of thunder.

Thor instantly bolts awake, the chains rattling at his actions. Looking surprised to see me, the god's confusion only lasts for a few moments before panic sets in.

"Skylar?" Thor asks groggily, blinking his eyes several times to see me right.

"It's okay Thor. We've come to rescue y'all." I say, using my fangs to slice through his chains and free him.

"I've got Clint and Stark. We've got to get out of here." Natasha says, holding Clint's unconscious form.

"Roger that." I say, rushing towards Steve's side and lifting the unconscious soldier up.

"Let me." Thor says, lifting Steve's body gentle and draping it over his shoulder.

We quickly leave the building, me going first with my gun ready. I look both ways before returning to the fence line Natasha and I crossed. Noticing no other way out, I quickly begin to slash at the fence with my Cobra Fangs, creating a large hole in the metal.

"C'mon, Bruce is waiting in the forest." I say quietly, rushing through the words towards Bruce's location.

The others follow behind me quickly and silently. Tony's suit is badly damaged, but he has no choice but to wear it. Thor is carrying both Steve and Clint over each shoulder, freeing Natasha from carrying the heavy archer. We reach Bruce in no time, the doctor waiting patiently where we left him.

"We've got to get out of here. Someone's going to notice the empty shack and the hole in the fence eventually." I say, leading the group with Natasha towards the hidden quinjet.

Inside the SHIELD air vehicle, I quickly take the pilot seat, starting the plane and taking off. Tony and Bruce get to work with looking over Steve and Clint's injuries, doing what they can before we reach the helicarrier.

"This is Agent Anderson, I will need emergency medical staff at landing for two. ETA 10 minutes." I say into my headset.

"Roger that Anderson." Maria's voice says, ending the transmission.

* * *

We arrive quickly at the helicarrier. I land the jet and assist as much as I can to get Steve and Clint the medical attention they need. Both men have been badly beaten, tortured, and starved. They've only been captive for about two days, but because Steve's high metabolism, he needs to eat, a lot regularly. Natasha and I run to the medical bay behind the emergency doctors and nurses and wait in the lobby as they begin to operate on Clint, he has some internal bleeding because of his torture.

"I hate this not knowing." I groan in frustration, kicking over a table in the lobby.

"Me too. I hope they're okay." Jane says, waiting with us along with Pepper and trying to be as supportive as possible.

"Agent Romanoff." A male nurse says, bringing our attention to the slightly intimidated nurse. "Agent Barton just finished surgery. He'll be okay. He's sleeping but you can go in and see him."

Leaping from her seat, Natasha bolts for Clint's room, the three of us following her. Clint's room is a single room across the hall from Steve's. When I enter the room behind Natasha, I see her kneeling by his side, tears staining her pale cheeks.

"We'll give you some privacy." I whisper quietly to the assassin, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks." Natasha replies, not taking her eyes off of Clint.

Pepper, Jane, and I exit the room, shutting the door quietly behind us. We return to the waiting area. I begin to pace the floor nervously; I haven't received any word on Steve. He was in pretty rough shape when I first saw him, but he's a super soldier, he has Erskine's serum, he should pull through no problem.

"Agent Anderson?" An older female nurse says.

I instantly turn towards her, my adrenaline pumping.

"Right this way." The female nurse says, leading me down the hall towards Steve's room.

"Thank you." I say quietly, entering the small single room and rushing towards Steve's side.

I quickly pull up a chair and sit right next to the bed, grasping his cool hand in my small one. He's asleep, or in a coma-like state, and is breathing softly. He has slight stubble on his face from not shaving, and his hair's a mess. I can see the cuts and bruises on his body are healing extra quickly because of the serum, and he doesn't look so pale as he did when I first rescued him.

"Steve?" I whisper quietly, hoping he'll open his eyes and I can see the love and life radiating from his sky blue orbs. "C'mon baby, please stay with me. I can't lose you. I can't lose you too." I gentle kiss his cheek, letting a single tear run down my cheek and land on his.

* * *

"Steve, please come back to me. I love you. I love you so much. I love your kindness, your courage, I love the way you cook me breakfast, and sing in the shower. I love the way you sit at dinner and watch the six o'clock news. I love it when you don't shave for a few days, when you work out and when you lose your cool it's kind of cute to me. I love you so much. Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me too." I cry into Steve's hand, kissing the bruised knuckle and whispering words of prayer to anyone who will listen.

"Skylar." Tony's voice makes me perk my head up toward the billionaire playboy.

There's a somber look on Tony's face, it's clear he's worried about his friends too. He's out of his suit and wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans and is holding a bouquet of flowers. There's a sad look on his face as he watches Steve's sleeping form.

"I know there's nothing I can say or do to make you feel better, but I want you to know I'm here for you. We all are. Just know that." Tony says, laying the bouquet beside Steve's bedside table and pulling up a chair to sit by me.

"Thank you, Tony." I whisper, letting the billionaire wrap his arm around me and pull me into a side hug.

Tony kisses my temple, trying to reassure me as much as himself that everything will be okay. _But will it_? Tony leaves a little while later, saying he'll check on Clint who's awake and talking with Natasha. I just stay by Steve's side, watching his chest rise and fall softly with his breathing.

* * *

I wake up to the sunlight shining in through the window, its rays kissing my face. It's then I realize I'm still in the Cobra suit that Tony and Bruce made me, the multiple holsters, belts, and accessorizes uncomfortable to my sore body.

"Good morning beautiful." A husky masculine voice says, making me snap my head up towards Steve's face.

Awake, smiling, and staring at me like I'm some sort of angel, I feel my heart burst with happiness at seeing those blue eyes I love. I jump from my chair and onto Steve, giving him a warm hug.

"Steve!" I whisper in relief, inhaling his unique masculine scent.

"Skylar." Steve whispers back, hugging me tight and pulling me up on the bed so I'm straddling him.

I feel Steve's hand at the back of my neck and the pressure of his lips on mine. It's a sweet kiss, one full of emotions and love. I eagerly return the kiss, allowing Steve to let his tongue play with mine in a dance we've become familiar with. I pull back only for air and to examine Steve's face. However, Steve seems to have other ideas, since he moves his head down my neck and begins to kiss, bit, and suck at my throat and collarbone, sending sparks of pleasure tingling through my body.

"Whoa there kids save some for the honeymoon." Tony's voice says, making Steve pause in his ministrations.

"What do you want, Stark?" Steve asks in an irritated voice, his head still buried in the junction between my shoulder and neck.

"Just checking on your capsicle, though now I think I should call you sleeping beauty." Tony says, walking over and giving Steve a pat on the shoulder before leaving.

"Sometimes I really don't like that guy." Steve says in an exaggerated voice, flopping back on the bed with me still on top.

"Give Stark some credit. He was pretty worried about you." I say, kissing Steve's forehead and getting off his lap.

"He was worried?" Steve asks, catching my wrist and pulling me back towards the bed.

"Yeah. He gave you the flowers." I say, motioning towards the beautiful bouquet.

"He did? Why didn't he say anything?"

"Because Tony's not the kind of guy who shows he cares." I reply, giving Steve a sincere look. "Lighten up on the guy. Maybe you'll find he's not such of a jerk as you thought." I kiss Steve's forehead, walking towards the door to go to the bathroom.

* * *

Later on I bring Steve some lunch from the cafeteria as well as the files from the reports Natasha, Bruce, Thor, Tony, and I had to write up from the mission. SHIELD was successful in blowing up the cartel's base to destroy the stole material and the Colombian government intervened to confiscate the drugs and weapons stored there.

I spend the rest of the afternoon with Steve in his room. The doctors won't let him leave just yet, they want to give it twenty-four hours before they allow him or Clint to leave, despite both men feeling good and protesting.

"Captain Rogers, Agent Anderson you have a visitor." A female nurse says, looking slightly shaken up.

"Who is it?" I ask, closing my laptop screen and looking toward the door.

"Hello Lizzie." Dante's raspy voice says, walking into view with Xander by his side.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that." I say in frustration, looking towards two of the most important men in my life.

"No matter how old or big you get you'll always be my Lizzie." Dante argues, coming over and kissing my forehead.

I notice Steve tense slightly in his medical bed at Dante's close proximity to me, but I squeeze his hand for reassurance.

"What do you want Dante?" I ask.

"I came here to check on you and Captain Rogers here. I heard about the cartel altercation." Dante says, sitting down on one of the chairs.

"How did you hear about that?" Steve asks, harshness in his tone.

"Carlos Rojas has been an associate of mine in the best. His son informed me of the attack at their main house in Colombia. Said the government came in and confiscated all their merchandise. They've gone out of business, temporarily." Dante replies, his eyes locked on me.

"You knew they had Steve, Thor, Clint, and Tony hostage and you didn't do anything?" I ask, my anger beginning to boil.

"I didn't realize Captain Rogers, Prince Thor, Agent Barton, or Tony Stark were hostages of Rojas. He doesn't usually take any prisoners." Dante says, his face passive.

"Get out." I snap, unable to feel anything but hatred for the man I know as 'grandpa'.

"Lizzie-"

"I told you to never call me that. I am not your 'Lizzie' anymore. You lost the right to call me that." I growl coldly, my eyes narrowing at Dante.

"Skylar I am sorry. If I would have known your friends were Rojas' captives, believe me, I would have done anything to get them freed." Dante says, looking sympathetic and slightly hurt.

"Whatever they're safe now, no thanks to you. Get out." I bark, feeling something inside me begin to rise.

"Skylar you have to calm down." Dante says in a serious voice, standing up quickly and stepping closer to me.

"No. Stay away from me." I cry, feeling something inside me snap.

Suddenly a wall of ice grows from the ground as I raise my hand to stop Dante's encroachment. The ends sharpened to spikes, aimed at Dante.

"Skylar please don't freak out." Xander says, stepping closer, trying to avoid the icy spikes.

"What am I? No. No I thought I was done with this." I cry, looking at my hands and beginning to feel fear and worry stirring inside me.

"Skylar, honey, look at me. Look at me darling." Steve says, grasping my wrists and pulling towards him.

I hadn't realized Steve had sat up in bed and the worry on his face matches the worry on my father and grandfather's.

"Skylar look at me. It's okay. You're okay. Calm down. Everything's going to be okay, darling." Steve says, pulling me close to him and calming me with his voice.

"I don't want these powers. I just want to be normal." I say, beginning to feel the initial panic die away as Steve continues to comfort me.

"I know, but it doesn't work that way. Whatever happens we'll figure it out, _together_." Steve assures me, rubbing circles on my back and tightening his arms around me. "You should go." Steve says towards my father and Dante, giving them a pleading look that I don't miss.

"You'll take care of her?" Xander asks, his protective fatherly instincts coming out after all these years.

"Yes sir. No go, please." Steve replies, giving them a nod.

Dante and Xander exit the room, Xander giving me a worried look before he closes the door. I begin to relax as I feel my fearfulness begin to melt away and Steve's words and warm embrace comfort me.

"C'mon, let's go home." Steve says.


	16. Chapter 16

After Steve was released from the hospital, Bruce and Tony started another round of tests on me. It turns out that Hydra's serum is coming back, my body's mutation allowing the cells to reproduce once more even without the constant injections.

It's the night before Christmas and unlike all the other years before; I actually have people to spend the holidays with. Since Steve and Clint were released from the hospital, the tower hasn't been the same. Aside from the standard holiday decorations, Tony and Thor have been going through extended lengths to make sure the Avengers are prepped for the holidays.

"C'mon guys time to open presents!" Tony says, dragging Natasha and me by our arms towards the living room in the tower where the tree and gifts are all laid out.

"Tony, do we have to do it tonight? It's nearly midnight." Natasha says bitterly, looking exhausted from her last mission.

"I agree with Nat, can we please go to bed." I groan, tired too from my sixteen-hour shift at the hospital.

"No! We are opening presents. Sit down and stop complaining." Tony says, pushing Natasha and I onto a couch.

"Who wants to go first?" Pepper asks, sitting near the tree ready to hand out presents.

"I want Skylar to open my gift first!" Clint says, reaching quickly into the pile and handing me a box.

It's poorly wrapped, but you can tell the person tried to make it look presentable. The box is medium weight and has a snowman tag that reads, 'Merry Christmas Sky, welcome to the Avengers'.

I tear into the present, my excitement overcoming my tired state. Tearing the paper away I find a crossbow with several sets of custom-made arrows.

"Thank you so much Clint!" I gasp in amazement. The time and engineering it took to make such a high tech crossbow must've taken at least a month or two. I quickly walk over to the archer and give him a big hug, kissing his cheek in a sisterly way.

"I figured you could try this instead. It's pretty much a gun and a bow in one." Clint replies, knowing my luck with archery hasn't gone as smoothly as either of us want to admit.

"Tasha you're next." Tony says, handing the red haired assassin a brightly decorated package with Tony's Iron Man logo on the tag.

"Thank you Tony." Natasha smiles back at the billionaire, opening the package to find a specialized gun, bullets, and enhanced Widow Bites.

"No problem, I'll show you how the new bites work later." Tony says, giving Natasha a hug.

"Lady Pepper this is for you." Thor says, handing Pepper a horrible wrapped gift with Thor's large and beautiful handwriting reading 'Pepper' on the tag.

"Thank you Thor." Pepper replies, opening the package to find a brand new set of glasses, mostly because Thor's broke most of her wine glasses during late night drinking stunts with Tony, Clint, and Steve.

"Captain this is for you." Bruce says, handing Steve a present from the mountain of gifts under the tree.

"Thanks Bruce, you shouldn't have." Steve says accepting the gift and opening it to find his favorite bottle of whiskey wrapped in a beautiful set.

"Jane this is for you." I say, handing the doctor a present.

"Thank you, Sky." Jane replies, tearing into the present like a giddy child and revealing a beautiful scarf, hat, and gloves.

"Hey Tony this is for you." Steve says, handing the billionaire playboy a gift-wrapped his Steve's signature colors.

"Aw thanks capsicle." Tony replies, opening the gift quickly and revealing several bottles of Jack Daniel's.

We continue exchanging gifts, laughs, and memories on through the late night and into the early hours of Christmas Morning. By the time we all open each other's presents the living room is a mess with paper, tags, ribbons, and packaging.

"Good night everyone." I say, standing up taking my gifts with me as Steve stands too, both of us exhausted.

"More like good morning." Tony replies, making me laugh as Steve and I head to the elevator.

Once we make it back to Steve's room, I immediately lay the gifts down on the counter, combining Steve and my pile into one.

"Hang tight? I have something for you." I say, kissing Steve's cheek and heading into the bedroom closet.

I find the box I've successfully hiding in the folds of my clothes, bringing the medium size rectangular box out its hiding place and returning to my boyfriend. Steve is sitting on the couch when I return, the fireplace and radio on and a light snow falling from the morning sky.

"Merry Christmas baby." I say, kissing Steve's lips softly, placing the box in his lap.

"Sky you didn't have to." Steve says, smiling down at the neatly wrapped box.

"Just open it."

Steve opens the present carefully, almost like he's afraid he'll break it. When he removes the outer wrapping paper and lifts the lid of the box, I see his face light up.

I gave Steve a record player along with a full set of albums of all his favorite bands from the 30's and 40's. It had taken a while to track down all the albums, in mint condition, and to fix Stark's old record player, but I had done it. The reaction I got from Steve was enough to make all the trouble and time worth it.

"Do you like it?" I ask, beginning to worry a little since Steve hasn't spoken a word.

"Like it? I love it. Thank you so much. How did I get so lucky?" Steve replies, grabbing me by my wrists and pulling me onto his lap, sealing my lips with his.

I'm caught of guard at first, Steve usually doesn't manhandle me, but I find myself enjoying his more possessive, dominant, and animalistic side.

"I have something for you too." Steve says, reaching beside the couch and handing me a box.

It's wrapped in Steve's blue and red colors and has a star as the tag. The note written in Steve's masculine handwriting reads, 'to my best friend, girlfriend, and love of my life. Merry Christmas.'

I quickly open the present, childish excitement building inside of me. As I remove the lid covering the present, my mouth falls open and I audible gasp at what I receive. Steve had taken the time to draw and paint a picture of the New York skyline as well as the Los Angeles skyline. There's also his dog tags laying on top of the two pictures.

"They're beautiful. I love it, thank you." I say, kissing Steve passionately.

"I know how much you love New York, but I also know you love Los Angeles since that's where your mom's from. I wanted to give you a piece of her, even if I never knew her." Steve says sincerely, picking up his dog tags and placing the silver metal necklace over my head. "I also wanted the whole world to know you're my girlfriend. And I will never give you up." Steve continues, kissing my hand.

"I love you so much." I whisper, feeling tears of happiness and pain fill my eyes.

"I love you too." Steve replies kissing me passionately on the mouth once more.

* * *

The week between Christmas and New Year's is quiet. We all are on vacation, so we spend the majority of the time together, just talking, playing games, or doing little projects or chores. Xander and Dustin come to visit for a couple of days during the holiday. I haven't spoken to Dante since I learned he knew of Steve, Tony, Thor, and Clint's capture, but did nothing to help them.

On New Year's Eve S.H.I.E.L.D. is holding a party at a hotel in Manhattan, over looking Times Square and the ball. Everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. is invited, and Tony's pretty much announced we're all going whether we like it or not. I decide to wear a simple gold strapless sparkly dress that reaches the floor. I tie my hair back in a messy bun and wear Steve's dog tags around my neck.

Walking into the grand ballroom of the five star hotel, I gasp in awe of the luxury and grandness of the space. S.H.I.E.L.D. really out did itself this year, finding the most elegant place to hold it's annual New Year's Eve gala.

"Wow Sky you look beautiful." Steve gawks at me as I approach the group of heroes and their lovers.

"Thank you." I blush, still unused to Steve's compliments and the heated looks he sends me.

It's been four years since Steve was found and unthawed from being a capsicle, but the poor guy still hasn't gotten used to the grandness of New Years in New York City. Steve and myself have known each other since he first awoke, but we haven't officially dated until late July, about three months after the New York Invasion. Now as we approach New Years together, my favorite holiday, I can't help but become anxious at what's in store for us.

"Can I talk to you?" Steve asks, offering me his hand.

I accept the out stretched hand, allowing Steve to guide us through the crowded room toward the balcony facing Times Square. It's a particular cold New Year's, so most of our fellow agents are inside the warm building instead of braving the chilly winds and frosty conditions.

Walking outside onto the balcony, I feel the gush of wind rushing up the side of the skyscraper, making me skin break out in goosebumps although I'm not particularly cold. Shrugging off his jacket, Steve drapes the silky black garment over my shoulders, even though we both know I'm not cold.

"What do you want to talk about?" I ask, stepping closer to the edge of the balcony and leaning against the rails, turning my head to the side to look at Steve in the corner.

"Um…I just wanted to have a moment alone with you. Tony, Clint, and Thor are getting pretty rowdy." Steve replies, looking slightly nervous.

"Yeah they tend to get pretty wasted at these functions, don't they?" I reply, knowing its not _really_ what Steve wants to talk about.

Chuckling, Steve walks closer, admiring the view at such great heights. For a man who's born and raised in the city, he still views it as if he's seeing it for the first time.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" Steve asks suddenly, catching me off guard.

I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion at the super soldier. "Yeah…?"

"Do you remember the first time we talked?" Steve continuous to question, turning his full attention and body toward me.

"Yes. It was at the gym. You had destroyed your third punching bag in a row and I asked you if you come there often." I reply, recounting our first times together.

* * *

_I walked into the gym, the silence refreshing compared to the usual noises heard. There's no one around, given it's 2 in the morning. I can't sleep, my nightmares keeping me awake once more, so I decide to head to the local gym in Brooklyn, close by to the neighborhood where I lived for the last years of high school. _

_I walk toward my favorite bag; it's in the corner and away from gawking eyes. Men can be such pigs. I wrap my hands quickly, going through a quick stretches to get my limbs loosened before I begin to through punches and kicks at the sand bag. In just a few short minutes I'm panting and dripping with sweat. The adrenaline from my nightmare and quick walk over has worn off, leaving me exhausted._

"_Shit and I have the first round at the hospital in the morning." I think to myself, groaning at the thought. I unwrap my hands, placing my belongings back into my bag heading toward the water fountain where I can grab a drink before heading back to my apartment._

_The sound of grunts and the smack of fists colliding with a bag draw my attention away from the water fountain and toward the center of the gym. That's when I see him. Captain America in the flesh, well covered in sweat and hair matted. He's wearing a simple tight white t-shirt and tight fitting gym pants that high light the wonderful effects of the serum._

"_Damn it. Get your head out of the gutter Anderson." I scowl myself for thinking such dirty thoughts. I'm not usual horny or this graphic in my sexual desires, but I'm a virgin who's never seen a real penis before so you can't blame me._

"_Come here often?" I shout toward the focused soldier, making him whip around quickly to face me._

_I approach slowly and cautiously, not sure if this is such a wise idea. After all, the first time I met the living legend I crashed into him, literally. I had been rushing, I can't remember for what, but I had slipped on the slippery floors of the base and collided with Steve's rock hard chest. He had fallen to the floor, breaking my fall, and had secured me with his muscular arms to prevent me from getting hurt. "Such a gentleman."_

"_Yeah, usually there's no one here though. Most people choose to sleep at this time of night." Steve replies, beginning to unwrap his hands and walk toward his bag sitting on a bench._

"_I'm not most people." I reply, walking closer, leaning against the pillar near his stuff._

"_I don't doubt that. Most people don't crash into people either just to met them." Steve says, giving me a smirk, causing me to blush profusely._

_Steve, used to female co-workers hitting on him and going out of their way to make contact, had instantly thought I was one of those people when I had collided with him in the halls. Of course at the time when he asked if I was hitting on him (he used much nicer terms), I had immediately grown angry and nearly cussed him out, if it hadn't been for the fact I was late for something already. Anyway, now as I stand there in front of him, I snort at his words, finding humor in the situation that wasn't present in the moment._

* * *

"Skylar? Skylar?" Steve's voice breaks me form my trip down memory lane.

Snapping out of my trance, I stare back up at Steve's face, now mere inches from mine. "Sorry, totally spaced out there."

"Yeah a little. Less than five minutes till the ball drops, figured you didn't want to miss it." Steve says, standing behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me back towards his warm chest.

I stare at the glowing crystal ball as it hangs above the city. There's a clock counting down the minutes until midnight, the ball changing colors in a beautiful display of lights. The people below are all talking, laughing, and celebrating an end of a year and the coming of a new. It's a magical thing to be in New York at New Years, despite how cheesy and cliché it sounds.

"Skylar Elizabeth Anderson, will you marry me? Meeting you, talking to you, and dating you has been the best time of my life, and I don't' want to spend another year alone. My New Year's resolution is to make you're my wife. Will you have me as your husband?" Steve asks suddenly, breaking away from me to kneel before me and present to me a ring inside a black velvet box from his pocket.

I place a shocked hand over my mouth, unsure exactly what to say. This is the moment I've dreamt about since I was a kid, the moment I've considered more since meeting Steve, but I never thought it would happen, especially like this on New Year's Eve. I can't even form a coherent thought, let alone reply with coherent words. I simply just nod my head up and down.

"Yes. Yes. Yes! I'll marry you, Steven Christopher Rogers." I reply, smiling a teary smile. A huge smile spreading across the super soldier's face, Steve stands and removes the ring from its case, slipping it onto my ring finger and kissing my knuckles.

"Happy New Year!" People around us shout, fireworks, cries, cheers, and other celebration noises going off around us as well.

"Happy New Year, soldier." I whisper to Steve, standing on my toes to kiss his lips in mine.

"Happy New Year, cobra." Steve replies, smiling a large boyish smile that lights up his whole face.

No matter what happens, no matter what this New Year, new adventure, and new life brings me, I know I've finally found a place where I belong. I am the King Cobra, an Avenger, and nothing will stand in my way of continuing my journey with my soldier.


End file.
